


Twilight Saga: Equinox

by killerofthestars



Series: Madi's Twilight Rewrite [1]
Category: Twilight (Movies), Twilight Series - All Media Types, Twilight Series - Stephenie Meyer
Genre: Bisexual Bella Swan, Kinda, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Twilight Series Rewrite, Twilight Spitefic, black jasper, dark! cullens, israeli esme, jewish alice, korean emmett, lesbian rosalie hale, mine is really more of a, the wolves probably will be too just as a heads up, they're more monster-like than romance-novel worthy ya know???
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-19
Updated: 2018-12-30
Packaged: 2019-08-25 16:28:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 21,663
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16664200
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/killerofthestars/pseuds/killerofthestars
Summary: Bella Swan has three questions she needs to answer;1. Why is Angela acting so strange?2. Who is Rosalie Hale?3. Just how many secrets does Forks, Washington have?When she finally gets an answer to the first one, it adds another question to her list.Just how dangerous could Forks, Washington really be?or; I rewrite the twilight series so it's gay, makes sense, has consistent characterization, and no demon child. I promise it's better than it sounds.





	1. Homecoming (or; how two plane rides and a car ride result in a truck and a pride flag)

**Author's Note:**

> Okay guys!!! Thank you so much for reading this. I've been writing for years but this is the first time I've posted on ao3 and I'm excited for feedback. 
> 
> This AU is something I've been planning for a long time and it means a lot to me. I think Stephanie Meyer laid the groundwork but ultimately made some really fucking stupid choices for her characters/story that I hate and want to fix. So, we have the following;
> 
> -bisexual Bella  
> -lesbian Rosalie  
> -Jewish Alice  
> -Black Jasper  
> -Korean Emmett  
> -Israeli Esme  
> -dark/monstrous Cullens with a more relatable family dynamic  
> -Charlie Swan getting the recognition he deserves  
> -a lot more that I don't wanna spoil

The mother-daughter duo drove to the airport in a tiny red sunfire with the windows rolled down. It was 75 degrees in Phoenix, Arizona, the sky a perfect, cloudless blue; to Bella, it felt like even the sun was saying goodbye.

 

“You don't have to do this,” Bella's mother, a pretty redhead named Renée, reminded her gently. “It's not too late to back out.”

 

Bella held back a sigh at the bitter-yet-smug tone her mother was using. It was as if she expected her to pull out now, 25 minutes from the airport, and was both dreading it ruining her plans and excited to keep her daughter from her ex-husband.

 

“I know I don't, Mom,” Bella lied. “I _want_ to. I… I miss Dad. And Forks.”

 

The second part wasn’t technically a lie. She loved her dad, missed her friends, and hadn't been in Forks since July. She hadn't lived with her dad year-round since she was 2. But, for as happy as she was, she knew that she didn't really have a choice in the matter. Her mother wanted to go on the road with her new husband, Phil, and Bella was stopping her from doing that. Though she had never said the words aloud, Bella knew that staying home with her made her mother miserable.

 

“If you're sure, sweetie. I’m... glad you're excited,” Renée said in a way that made it very obvious that she was not, in fact, glad her daughter was excited.

 

Bella ignored her mother's tone and gave a half hearted hum as a response before focusing out the window once again. When they passed a sign that said ‘10 miles to Airport’, Bella couldn't help but reach down and smooth out her shirt. It was her favourite, white and sleeveless with a gorgon head and the words MEDUSA APOLOGIST scrawled across it in green. It was a farewell gift to herself, in a way. Her carry on item was a parka.

 

Bella's father was a good man. He was the local chief of police in Forks, Washington; the rainiest town in continental USA. It was constantly cold, wet, gloomy and had a population of 4000. In Forks, everyone knew everyone knew everyone, and that's just the way it had always been. People were friends because, well, what else would they be? Kids called each other cousins because their grandmothers were best friends since diapers and their moms closer than sisters, or hated one another because of some sketchy shit their great-grandfathers had done to one another. No one ever left Forks, but it seemed like even less people moved in. Bella loved Phoenix. She hated the cold, the wet, the - she shuddered at the thought - the _snow_. If she had it her way, she would stay in Phoenix and just continue alternating Christmases between her parents and giving her summers to her dad. But that just wasn’t an option anymore, so Bella would just have to deal.

 

The rest of the drive was silent, the quiet only breaking once they got the airport. Bella checked her bags and followed her mother’s lead to the gate, the redhead rambling happily on the way about all the things she and Phil were going to do and promising to send pictures. Despite her reluctance to drag out their goodbye, Bella hugged her mom tight, knowing it would be the last time she would get to do so for a while. As she let go, her mother smiled sadly down at her.

 

“Bella,” her mom started with a strained voice before sighing, seeming to change her mind about what she wanted to say, “Tell Charlie I say hi?”

 

“Of course, Mom.” Bella choked out. She felt a spasm of panic as she stared at the wide, childlike eyes of the woman before her. How could she leave her flighty, erratic, harebrained mother to fend for herself? Of course Renée had Phil now, so the bills would probably get paid, there would be food in the refrigerator, gas in her car, and someone to call when she got lost, but still…

 

“Be good,” Renée’s eyes welled with tears, “make good choices.”

 

“Always,” Bella had to turn away then, knowing that if she stayed another second she may not have been able to get on the plane at all. Bella had always been there for Renée, more the mother than the child at times, and she was afraid of what would happen to the redhead now that she was gone. Phil or no Phil, _she_ had always been Renée’s constant. Suddenly, leaving felt less like a sacrifice and more like a betrayal.

 

It wasn’t until hour 2 of 3 that Bella realized neither of them had said ‘I love you’.

 

\---

 

It was a three hour flight from Phoenix to Seattle, and from there Bella got on a plane from Seattle to Port Angeles. She had done it plenty of times before, so she wasn’t overly concerned. What she was concerned about, however, was the hour long car ride from Port Angeles to Forks she would be making with Charlie.

 

Bella loved her dad, she really did, but sometimes it felt like she was too much like him for them to co-exist. With her mom, Bella never had to worry about the house getting too silent or the conversation dying off, killed with awkward tension. With her mother it was easy. But Charlie was like her; awkward, introverted, and what some may describe as ‘emotionally stunted’.

 

She tried not to dwell on this during her hour long flight. She drowned her thoughts with her music and mindless phone games and by reviewing her notes on Mogollon Monster. Bella was a cryptid enthusiast, always had been, and she wound up getting so lost in her notes that she barely noticed the plane beginning to land.

 

As she expected, her dad was waiting for her the second she got off the small plane. He always was, and it never failed to make her smile. Even in spite of the rain. Her mother had once tried to tell her that the rain was an omen - a sign she shouldn’t go to her dad’s. But Bella knew the truth; it wasn't an omen, just inevitable.  

 

Charlie have her an awkward, one-armed hug when she got to him just like he always did.

 

“It’s good to see you, Bells,” he said, smiling as he automatically caught and steadied the girl. The soaked tarmac had made her shoes wet and Bella, well, she hardly had the balance necessary to walk at the best of times. “You haven’t changed much. How’s Renéee?”

  
“Mom’s fine. It’s good to see you, too, Dad.”

  
  
Bella had only a few bags. Most of her Arizona clothes were too permeable for Washington. She and her mother had pooled their resources to supply a winter wardrobe, but it was still small and scattered at best. It all fit easily into the trunk of the cruiser.

 

Once the pair were strapped in, Bella got the first good look at herself in a while. She had changed into a thick knit sweater in Seattle, trying desperately to avoid the parka for as long as possible. She could see the collar of her white shirt poking out from underneath it in the rearview mirror and smiled a bit. Her long hair was damp, making it a darker brown than it usually was and slightly curlier. Her eyes, brown like her father’s, looked tired and unhappy, the bags under them almost big enough to hold her new winter wardrobe. Her skin, though always pale - especially by Phoenix standards - somehow looked almost translucent. Overall, she looked like she had lived in Forks her whole life instead of like she was just arriving.

 

The first 20 minutes of the drive were filled with awkward small talk about Bella’s schooling (good), Charlie’s work (busy), and Renée (as Renée-like as ever). After that, as Bella had predicted, the newly reunited duo fell into a silence that would last the rest of the trip. It wasn’t _too_ awkward, thankfully, but nonetheless after almost 40 minutes Bella was pleased to see the ‘Welcome to Forks’ sign come into view. Surrounding the sign was, in a word, green. Green grass, green trees, green moss. More green than Bella saw in an entire year in Phoenix, and they were barely 20 metres into town. Bella shivered without meaning to, already anticipating the cold.

 

A few minutes after that, the little white house Charlie had lived in her whole life came into view and made Bella smile. The house had been purchase by Charlie _and_ Renée shortly before Bella was born. Charlie had never had the heart to sell it, but that was fine by Bella. To her, the little two bedroom was home, even if she would have preferred the house be located in Phoenix.

 

Charlie helped her carry her bags into her room, and she was please to see that nothing had changed. Her walls were still forest green, her bedding purple with a quilt at the end of it, and her desk was still set up the way she liked it. She had never felt the need to hide her things from Charlie - he was a cop, but surprisingly not a snoop. Bella’s desk and the bookcase next to it were filled with notebooks and reference books, articles she had printed out, and more; all surrounding cryptids and conspiracies. Her mother had always poked fun at her, occasionally being outright mean, but Charlie had never said anything negative about his daughter’s fixation. In fact, he had used his ‘cop powers’ and taught Bella how to properly research and investigate.

 

Nothing had changed, until at a second glance, Bella noticed something in her pencil jar that most definitely had _not_ been there when she left. Bella’s blood ran cold and her heart dropped into her stomach.

 

It was a flag made up of three horizontal stripes; pink, purple, blue.

It was a pride flag.

 

Catching on to what his daughter was staring at, Charlie cleared his throat awkwardly. “Your, uh, your mother told me. I figured you may wanna, like, have one here with you. N-No one else knows, I figured that this was your decision on who to tell. But, uh, yeah… if-if you don’t like it or it’s the wrong one, you don’t have to keep it. I tried to look it up but the internet hates me and I figured you wouldn’t want me, like, asking around. Like I said, your decision.”

 

Bella wasn’t a crier. She couldn’t be, she had too much to do to waste time with tears.But as she stared at the little plastic-fabric flag she couldn’t help but well up. Coming out to her mom had been terrifying, and coming out to Charlie just hadn’t been on her to-do list, if she was being honest. But Renée had taken care of it ( _taken care of,_ Bella told herself firmly, trying not to feel bitter or angry at her mother for outing her). It was okay.

 

“I love it,” she breathed out, afraid her voice would crack if she spoke any louder. She cleared her throat, “and it matches my sheets. Good job, Chief.” she joked and Charlie laughed too, sounding more relieved than amused, before he set her bags down and left her alone.

 

One of Bella’s favourite things about Charlie was that he didn’t hover like Renée, but even Bella could admit that sometimes she wished her dad hugged as much as her mom. She couldn’t quite put into words how happy she was about the flag in that moment, but then again, a hug probably wouldn’t have done it justice either. Shaking her head a bit, Bella set forth to unpack her clothes into the oak dresser by her window. It only took her about half an hour to empty her bags and shove them in her closet. She made her final stop at the bathroom with her toiletries.  

 

In the bathroom, the brunette got another good look at herself and decided she preferred the reflection from the rearview mirror over this one. She looked tired, exhausted even, as she stood in front of the sink. No make-up, nothing done to her now-knotty hair, her bags more prominent in the harsh blue-white lighting. Her sweater hanged off of her in an unflattering way, her black leggins sporting several small holes, and if she looked down at her socked feet she would see the silly little alien faces looking back up at her. She looked like she couldn’t decide whether she was 7 or 70 and decided to pull wardrobe inspiration from both in an attempt to look 17. Bella shook her head and left the bathroom, trying to remind herself that negative thinking didn’t do anyone any good.

 

The brown-eyed girl sighed as she flopped down onto her bed and closed her eyes. She was tired, 4 hours on 2 planes followed by an hour in the car was a lot for one day, and was almost asleep when she heard a loud rumbling outside her window. She assumed it was thunder at first, but then she heard two doors slam shut and the sound of her best friend’s voice.

 

“Hey Swan!” Jake called up to her window, “Welcome home!”

 

Bella all but cackled gleefully as she ran down the stairs. She stopped only to shove her feet into her boots before rushing out the door and into Jake’s arms. She smiled as she hugged the younger boy, happy to have him there with her. Jacob Black and Isabella Swan had known each other since the day Jake was born, their fathers best friends since diapers meaning they were destined to be friends by default. But what had started as two kids forced to hang out together once Bella was old enough to start visiting her dad became “Jacob and Isabella” became “Jake and Bella” became “JakeandBella”. The pair were thick as thieves and anyone who knew them was willing to bet that they always would be.

 

“Hey Jake,” Bella pulled away from her best friend to see Billy Black already watching her. “Hey Billy!”

 

She hugged Billy a lot more awkwardly than she hugged Jake, but it had less to do with Billy’s wheelchair and more to do with Bella’s lack of clarity on the subject of where boundaries lie with adults than most people would have thought. If Billy noticed or thought differently, he didn’t show it. Instead he patted her on the back before letting go and moving on to his favourite pass time - making fun of Charlie.

 

“You know, Bella, I’m glad you’re here,” Billy said and his eyes seemed to sparkle with mischief as he set his gaze on the chief, “Charlie here hasn’t shut up about you since you told him you were coming. I mean, he brags about you all the time anyway, but lately it’s been never ending. I’ve got my own kids to brag about, you know?” he teased and Bella laughed awkwardly.

 

“Alright,” Charlie’s voice was gruff but the blush on his cheeks took away any intimidation he may have had, “that’s enough. Don’t make me roll you into a ditch, old man.”

 

“Not before I ram you in the ankles!” Billy shot back challengingly and rolled himself towards Charlie like he meant business. Jake and Bella laughed as they watched their dads play fight down the driveway.

 

“So,” Jake said, drawing Bella’s attention back to him. No longer distracted, the young girl finally got a good look on how much her best friend had changed in the last 8 months. Jake had gotten taller, now towering over Bella’s 5’4” with his own 5’10” frame. His hair was still long and dark brown, move wavy than straight but not quite curly, and his eyes were dark brown and beautiful. His skin was tan naturally as he was Native American, a part of the Quileute tribe to be exact, and held some acne that’s expected with growing up. He had gained a bit of weight, muscle replacing baby fat, but Bella was relieved that his cheeks still held a certain childlike roundness that made him seem young. Jacob Black was 15, almost 16, and for once he almost looked it.

 

“So?” Bella shot back awkwardly, very aware that it probably looked like she had been checking Jacob out. Jake would know she wasn’t, though. At least not in the way one usually checks someone out. Her and Jake were too platonic for that. Close enough to be family despite not being blood.

 

“So, what do you think?” Jake asked as he leaned against what had to be the oldest truck Bella had ever seen.

 

“I think it’s an old, orange truck,” Bella teased and Jake laughed before shaking his head and glaring mockingly. “Chevy?”

 

Jake beamed at her guess and nodded happily. “Yep! Rebuilt the engine myself. It runs like a beauty. You have to double pump the clutch when you shift, but other than that she’s state of the art.”

 

“Um,” Bella tried to keep up but really was just nodding along dumbly.

 

“It’s also yours, Bells.” Charlie suddenly said and tapped the side of the truck twice, “I got her for you as a homecoming gift.”

 

Bella’s eyes widened as she processed the news. Hers? The truck was hers? For free? Her own vehicle for free? No riding around in the cruiser?! A huge smile threatened to split Bella’s face in half as she reached out and patted the truck. _Her_ truck. Her smile widened.

 

“It’s perfect!” and it was. Bella may not have known cars, but she could see herself driving this. Old, sturdy, dependable. A red so faded it looked orange and a few dents. It was a truck built to last but already used enough to prove she could take a beating. “Thank you so much!”

 

Once again, there was no hug. _But that’s okay_ , Bella told herself. _You don’t need a hug when you have a truck._ Jake and Billy only stayed about 10 minutes longer before Charlie drove them home, leaving Bella on her own once again. Charlie said he would get dinner on his way back, probably pizza. Now alone with her thoughts, Bella tried not to think too much about school the next day.

 

Later that night, she failed. She didn’t get to sleep until about 3 in the morning and when she did, it was restless. Her final thoughts as she drifted to sleep were of countless faceless teenagers yelling at her to get out of town.


	2. First Day (or; how Angela found out and Bella met the Cullens)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bella's first day of school + meeting the Cullens

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry about the spacing weirdness, I'll try and have it figured out by the next chapter. I'll be posting a new chapter every Monday. thank you so much for the comments on chapter one!!

Waking up the next morning was hard. Actually getting out of bed was harder. 

 

With her hair a mess, her limbs like lead, and her eyes stinging and begging to once again be closed, Bella dragged herself to her and Charlie’s shared bathroom. She brushed her hair and teeth, washed her face in an attempt to wake herself up, and sighed when her reflection didn’t actually look a whole lot better than it had the day before. 

 

She threw on a pair of leggings - sans holes this time - and an oversized knit grey sweater. She hadn’t even left the house yet and already she felt cold creeping into her bones. She threw on a pair of thick socks before going downstairs and having breakfast with Charlie. 

 

It was quiet, nothing more than quiet ‘good morning’s passed between them until Bella was almost out the door. “Have a good day, Bells. I’ll see you tonight when I get home.” Bella nodded in thanks and acknowledgment, afraid that if she actually opened her mouth to speak all of her fears would come pouring out and drown her poor father in guilt. 

 

Shaking her head at her own theatrics, Bella got into her truck and tried to remember what Jake had told her yesterday before he left. Not for the first time since deciding to come back, Bella really wished Jake went to Forks high school with her instead of down on the reservation in La Push. Inside the truck was dry, a nice change from the slow but cold drizzle outside. Jake and Billy had obviously cleaned it up, but the tan upholstered seats still smelled faintly of tobacco, gasoline, and peppermint. The engine started quickly, which Bella was a bit ashamed to admit surprised her, but loudly, roaring to life and then idling at top volume. Well, a truck this old was bound to have a flaw but Jake had somehow gotten the antique radio to work, so Bella figured that even it out.

 

Finding the school wasn’t difficult, though she’d never been there before. The school was  just off the highway, like most things in Forks, and not obviously a school. In fact, it was only the sign, which declared it to be the Forks High School, that made Bella stop. It looked like a collection of matching houses, built with maroon coloured bricks. With a sense of morbid nostalgia, Bella couldn’t help but compare her new school to her old one and the image almost made her laugh. Forks High School looked like her old school shatter like a rubix cube and then replaced the chain link fences with tree, the metal detectors with shrubs, and the graffiti with moss. 

  
Bella parked in front of the first building with a sigh and read the small FRONT OFFICE sign over the door. No one else was parked there, so she figured it was off limits, but also figured it would be better to get directions inside instead of circling around in the rain like an idiot. Warm and dreading the day ahead of her, Bella stepped out of the toasty truck cab with no small amount of reluctance and walked down a little stone path. She took a deep breath and counted the hedges that lined the path before opening the door and stepping inside.

  
  
The interior was brightly lit and warmer than even Bella had hoped. The office was small; a little waiting area with padded folding chairs, orange-flecked commercial carpet, notices and awards cluttering the walls, and a big clock ticking loudly. Plants grew everywhere in large plastic pots, as if there wasn’t enough greenery outside. The room was cut in half by a long counter, cluttered with wire baskets full of papers and brightly colored flyers taped to its front. Behind the counter was a large, red-haired woman wearing glasses. 

  
Awkwardly, Bella cleared her throat and the red-haired woman looked up. “Can I help you?”   


  
“I’m Isabella Swan,” she informed and saw the immediate awareness light her eyes. She was expected, apparently; a topic of gossip no doubt. Daughter of the Chief’s flighty ex-wife, come home at last.   


  
“Of course,” she said happily. She dug through a precariously stacked pile of documents on her desk till she found the ones she was looking for. “I have your schedule right here, and a map of the school.” She brought several sheets to the counter to show Bella.   


  
She went through Bella’s classes, highlighting the best route to each on the map for her, and gave the girl a slip to have each teacher sign and bring back at the end of the day. She smiled at Bella and hoped, like Charlie, that she would like it here in Forks. Bella smiled back as genuinely, thankful for the woman’s help and cheerful disposition. It made her feel a bit better knowing that not everyone expected an asshole from Arizona.   


  
When Bella went back out to her truck, other students were starting to arrive. She drove around the school, following the line of traffic and was pleased to see that most of the cars were older like like her own. Nothing flashy. At home Bella had lived in one of the few lower-income neighborhoods that were included in the Paradise Valley District and it was a common thing to see a new Mercedes or Porsche in the student lot. The nicest car here was a shiny Volvo, and it stood out. Nevertheless, the brunette cut the engine as soon as she was in a spot so the truly absurd volume wouldn’t draw attention to her.   


  
Bella looked at the map that the bubbly office lady drew for her, trying to memorize it now, hoping if she did she wouldn’t have to walk around with it stuck in front of her nose all day. After a few minutes she stuffed everything in her bag, slung the strap over her shoulder, and sucked in a huge breath. _ I can do this _ , Bella thought feebly.  _ It’s not like someone’s gonna bite me _ . 

  
Bella kept her face pulled back into her hood as she finally stepped out of her truck and walked to the sidewalk. It was crowded with teenagers. Thankfully, her black raincoat didn’t stand out, but that also meant no one stopped to consider that she might be lost.

  
Once she got around the cafeteria, building three was easy to spot. A large black “3” was painted on a white square on the east corner and Bella couldn’t help but feel her breathing gradually creeping toward hyperventilation as she approached the door. She tried holding her breath as she followed two unisex raincoats through the threshold but she felt silly and forced herself to stop.

 

She was out of the way but clearly the only one who had come to a dead stop. She got some looks but no one seemed particularly invested in her, which she thankful for. She closed her eyes and leaned against the side of the building, almost calmed down now when she heard a loud squeal from somewhere to her left.

 

“BELLA!” the voice called excitedly and Bella whipped her head around so fast she swore she had whiplash. A huge grin broke out across her face at the sight of her best in-town friend from Forks. 

 

“ANGIE!” Bella yelled back as the young, 6’1” bookworm rushed towards her. Bella readily embraced her friend when the other girl got to her, far happier than she thought she'd be after someone yelled her name for the whole school to hear.    
  


“What the hell are you doing here?!” Angela demanded as she pulled out of the hug. She left her hands on Bella's upper arms, though, almost as if she was afraid her friend would vanish if she let go. 

 

“Surprise!” Bella cheered awkwardly, now kind of regretting keeping her arrival a secret as she watched her friend's face change. “I, uh, I kinda live in Forks now. I go here. W-With you?” 

 

Angie's eyes widened and she all but jumped in place as she processed Bella's words. “You're staying?! Bella! That's great!” 

Bella smiled, relieved she didn't earn herself a lecture on keeping secrets quite yet, when the final warning bell rang.  “I'm sorry, Angie, but I kinda don't wanna be late to my first class…” Bella trailer off but Angela just shrugged, still all-but-vibrating in her excitement.

 

“Okay! That's okay! My friend Eric is in that class, he'll probably chat with you after. I'll try and find you between classes but if not I'll definitely find you at lunch, okay?” Bella nodded, relieved that she wouldn't have to sit alone. 

 

“Okay, Angie. I'll see you!” Angela nodded before turned and walking towards, Bella assumed, her own class. With a deep breath, Bella decided it was time to brave her own.

 

The classroom was small. The people in front of her stopped just inside the door to hang up their coats on a long row of hooks so Bella copied them. They were two girls, one a porcelain-colored blonde, the other also pale, with light brown hair. Bella enjoyed a shameful moment of relief - at least her skin wouldn’t be a standout here.

  
  
Bella but back a sigh and took her slip up to the teacher; a tall, balding man whose desk had a nameplate identifying him as Mr. Mason. He gawked at Bella when he saw her name – not an encouraging response – and naturally the girl flushed tomato red. Bella was at least thankful he sent her to an empty desk at the back without introducing her to the class. It would be harder for her new classmates to stare at her in the back, but Bella could admit to herself that she was vaguely impressed when, somehow, they managed. 

 

Bella kept her eyes down on the reading list the teacher had given her. It was fairly basic: Brontë, Shakespeare, Chaucer, Faulkner. She’d already read everything. That was comforting… and boring. Briefly Bella wondered how her mom would feel is she used her old essays but she knew her mother would think that was cheating. Bella went through different arguments with her in her head while the teacher droned on.   
  
When the bell rang, a nasal buzzing sound, a gangly boy with skin problems and hair as black as an oil slick leaned across the aisle to talk to her.

  
  
“You’re Isabella Swan, aren’t you?” He looked like the overly helpful, chess club type. The brunette forced a smile.   
  
“Bella,” she corrected softly. Everyone within a three-seat radius turned to look at her despite the quiet voice.   
  
“Where’s your next class?” he asked.   
  
Bella but her lip and tried to remember but wound up having to check her bag for her slip. “Um, Government, with Jefferson, in building six.”   
  
There was nowhere to look without meeting curious eyes.   
  
“I’m headed toward building four, I could show you the way…”   
  
Definitely over-helpful. “I’m Eric,” he added.   
  
Bella smiled tentatively, recognizing the name. “Thanks. You're Angela's friend, right?”

 

“Yeah! I am! How did you- oh! Oh, you're  _ Ange's  _ Bella. Okay, hi! Nice to finally meet you!” Bella blushed at his overexcited words but nodded along nonetheless. 

 

If she was being honest, Bella wasn't used to attention and she certainly wasn't used to positive attention. When they got their jackets and headed out into the rain, which had picked up  Bella could have sworn several people behind them were walking close enough to eavesdrop. She hoped she wasn’t getting paranoid. Or  _ even more _ paranoid, as she was sure Jake would have put it.

  
  
“So,” Eric broke the silence after a few minutes, “this is a lot different than Phoenix, huh?”   
  
“Very.”   
  
“It doesn’t rain much there, does it?”   
  
“Three or four times a year.”   
  
“Wow, what must that be like?” he wondered. Bella almost smiled at the awestruck look on his face.   
  
“Sunny,” she told him, still smiling.   
  
“You don’t look very tan.”   
  
“My mother is part albino.”   
  


He studied Bella's face apprehensively and she sighed. It looked like clouds and a sense of humor didn’t mix. A few months of this and Bella worried she’d forget how to use sarcasm.

  
  
They pair walked back around the cafeteria, to the south buildings by the gym. Eric walked her right to the door, though it was clearly marked, and Bella didn't know whether to think it was sweet or creepy.

  
“Well, good luck,” he said as Bella touched the handle. “Maybe we’ll have some other classes together.” He sounded hopeful.

  
  
_ Creepy-sweet,  _ Bella decided and smiled at him vaguely before going inside.

  
  
The rest of the morning passed in about the same fashion. Her Trigonometry teacher, Mr. Varner, who she likely would have hated anyway just because of the subject he taught, was the only one who made her stand in front of the class and introduce herself. Not expecting it, Bella stammered, blushed, and tripped over her own boots on the way to her seat.

  
  
After two classes, Bella started to recognize several of the faces in each class. There was always someone braver than the others who would introduce themselves and ask questions about how she was liking Forks, if she missed Arizona, if she brought a cactus with her (yes, and she was surprised and creeped out by how the kid knew). She tried to be diplomatic, but mostly she just lied a lot.  _ At least I never needed the map _ , she thought, looking for an upside. 

  
  
One girl sat next to Bella in both Trig and Spanish walked her all the way to the cafeteria for lunch when she couldn't find Angela. She was tiny, several inches shorter than Bella's five feet four inches, but her wildly curly dark hair made up a lot of the difference between their heights. Bella couldn’t remember her name, so she smiled and nodded as the girl prattled about teachers and classes. Bella didn’t even try to keep up.

  
They wound up sat at the end of a full table with several of the girl's friends, one of them being Angela. The brunette promptly forgot all the names of the others at the table as soon as they had introduced themselves, but they didn't seem to mind. They seemed impressed by Trig girl's - Jessica's - bravery in speaking to Bella and the boy from English, Eric, waved at her from across the room. Bella waved back.

 

“I can't believe you didn't tell me you were coming,” Angela said again and Bella laughed lightly. “I'm your best friend and this is how you treat me? Blasphemy!” 

 

Bella had missed Angela's teasing and mocking more than she'd realized and she was relieved that it didn't change just because she was around her other friends. “Sorry, Angie. If it makes you feel better, Jake didn't know either.” 

 

“Hmph,” Angela huffed jokingly, “fine. You're forgiven. You're still a lil shit though.” 

 

Bella could accept that and said as much, drawing a round of laughter from the other table mates. The girl who walked her, Jessica, suddenly seemed brave enough to speak again and perked up.

 

“So, Bella, is it true your dad is the chief of police?” Jessica asked and Bella tensed a bit. She loved her dad and she loved that her dad loved his job, but she also knew that most kids don't wanna be friends with a cop's kid.   
  


“Uh, yeah, he is.” Bella answered and waited for a reaction. 

 

“Cool! Tell him I say hi,” Jessica said, “he helped me get my purse back last summer.” 

  
Bella agreed to, happy that that seemed to be the end of the cop talk. It was there, sitting in the lunchroom, trying to make conversation with six curious strangers and Angela, that Bella first saw them.   
  


They were late to lunch, all walking as a group towards a table in the back of the caf. There were five of them and they were all… striking… to say the least. Striking and seemingly the only ones not staring at Bella, so she figured it would be okay to look. Or maybe ‘study’ was the better word.

 

They were all hard to look at. An equal mix of stunning and haunting, all seeming just too  _ off  _ to be normal but too damn normal to be off. 

 

None of them looked anything alike, really. There were three boys. The largest was a tall, east-Asian boy that, if Bella had to guess, appeared to be a bodybuilder. Or a wrestler. But he had scarring along his neck and down into his brown shirt, and I'd she looked closely Bella thought she could see them running faintly over his hands too, as if he had been attacked.  _ Or mauled,  _ Bella thought,  _ you're in bear country now. _ The boy next to him was a bit shorter and less build but still intimidating. He was black, with his dark brown hair cut short like the military, and he looked like he was in pain. As if he was about to fold in on himself at and given moment, and there were scars littering his body too. The most terrifying part was his eyes, intense and angry yet scared and in distress. Bella wanted to hug him and hide from him in equal amounts. The final boy was the smallest, lanky and thin everywhere visible. His cheeks were sunken in, his frame made up of skin and bones, and he looked uncomfortable in his own body. He was brown, and Bella knew she wasn't educated or aware enough to make a guess as to what ethnicity he was, and his dark bronze-y coloured hair was wild. Bella figured he must spend a lot of time running his fingers through it. 

 

The two girls almost opposites. One was short and reminded Bella of a pixie, her short hair choppy and wild and black, her frame tiny and shorter than Bella, likely not quite 5 feet. She was black, though not as dark as the boy walking in front of her, and she walked as if she was caught between dancing and running. The other was tall and blonde, built in a way that screamed sports or maybe mechanics, like Jake. Her hair was long and in soft curls tumbling down her back, her face nowhere near as open and happy as her friend's, and her stance and walk screamed ‘purpose’ and ‘drive’. 

 

And yet… all of them were also exactly alike. Same feeling about them, as if they were all just half a beat off from everyone else, and Bella didn’t know if they were ahead or behind. They all looked slightly lost and out of place, like the world was happening around them rather than them being a part of the world. They had an air of mystery and pull around them, like their very auras were trying to draw Bella in. Something about all of them screamed both ‘danger’ and ‘familiarity’ and Bella wanted to know  _ why. _

 

“Who are they?” she asked Angela.  As she looked up to see who Bella meant – though Bella figured she already knew, probably, from her tone – one suddenly looked at her, the thinner one, the boyish one, the youngest, perhaps. He looked at Angela for just a fraction of a second, and then his green eyes flickered to Bella's.

  
  
He looked away quickly, more quickly than Bella could, though in a flush of embarrassment she dropped her eyes nonetheless. In that brief flash of a glance, his face held nothing of interest – it was as if Angela had called his name, and he’d looked up in involuntary response, already having decided not to answer.  Angela giggled in embarrassment, looking at the table like Bella had.

  
  
“That’s the Cullens.” She said this under her breath. For some reason, Bella felt the need to whisper now too, as if they would be able to hear them from across the crowded room. Jessica leaned in too.

 

“They’re all adopted. They live with Dr. Cullen and his wife out of town.” Jessica informed her and Bella tried to recall a Dr. Cullen from any of her (numerous) trips to the local ER. She couldn't. 

 

“Have they always lived in Forks?” Bella asked. Surely she would have noticed them on one of her summer visits, but perhaps she had been too preoccupied to ever pay attention.   


  
“No,” Jessica answered in a voice that implied it should be obvious, even to a new arrival like Bella. “They just moved down two years ago from somewhere in Alaska.”   


  
Bella felt a surge of pity and relief. Pity because even discounting how hauntingly different they all were, they were outsiders on top of it, clearly not accepted. Relief she was ashamed of because she wasn’t the only newcomer here, and certainly not the most interesting by any standard. She felt bad for enjoying that.

 

“So what are there names?” Bella just assumed that a) if they lived in a small town and b) they knew who their parents were, it was a fairly safe bet that they knew the strange kids’ names.

 

Bella glanced sideways at the starved-looking boy, who was looking at his tray now and picking a bagel to pieces with long, bony fingers.  His mouth was moving very quickly, his lips barely opening. The other four still looked away, and yet Bella somehow knew that he was speaking quietly to them.

 

“Well,” Jessica started, looking vaguely like a teacher about to give a history lesson, “the big one is Emmett. He's Korean, if you were wondering, and pretty nice. He picks the weak kids for his teams in gym class, so Eric has a massive bro-crush on him,” Angela elbowed Jessica in the ribs but the girl just rolled her eyes. 

 

“The one best to him on his left, the one who looks like he's in pain, is Jasper. He was in my history class and he's smart, but he doesn't talk much,” Bella nodded along, “next to him is Alice. She's weird.” 

 

Bella but back a frown when that's all the description Alice got. Weird? That's it? Bella surveyed her for a few more seconds, noticing the star of David around her neck and the way she played with her sleeves.  _ Pixie-like, _ Bella decided,  _ but maybe not weird. _ Angela clearly took the same offense and took over from her friend with a huff. 

 

“Alice is nice,” she insisted, “a tad… eccentric, perhaps, but nice. She let me borrow a shirt once when mine got paint on it. She also helps run a Hebrew club, which looks  _ great _ on a college application. Next to her is Edward. I don't know a lot about Edward but he's in my science class next block.” 

 

Bella felt a pang of  _ something  _ run through her at that. Almost as if her fight-or-flight response was kicking in and it wanted her to  _ run.  _ “I have science next too. Biology with Mr. Banner?” 

 

Angela nodded happily. “Yeah! Of course, you may have to sit with him. I already have a desk partner and he doesn't let us switch once we've chosen.” 

 

The feeling of  _ something  _ got stronger and Bella hid her shaking hands in her pockets. “Okay, so who's the pretty blonde?” 

 

“Rosalie,” Angela and Jessica said at the same time, “she's… intense. I wouldn't call her mean or anything, but she's not someone we talk to a lot.” 

 

Bella nodded along with Angela's explanation but figured that they both knew it was a mute point. At a glance, Rosalie was exactly Bella's type. The brunette likely wouldn't ever get the guts to start a conversation, but she would definitely try her best to carry one if the blonde ever did.

  
  
_ Strange, unpopular names _ , Bella thought as she ran through the list in her head again. The kinds of names grandparents had. But maybe that was in vogue here in Forks – small town names? Bella doubted it though. So far today she had met an Eric, a Jessica, been introduced to a Tyler, and heard a Mike on the attendance. All perfectly common, normal names. Hell, there had been two Jessicas in her science class back home.

  
  
“They are… very nice-looking.” Bella struggled to get out. It wasn't a lie. None of them were ugly, but the  _ something  _ feeling they gave off made it hard to want to compliment them. They felt and looked dangerous, “pretty” just made that worse.

  
  
“Yes!” Jessica agreed with another giggle. As if they didn't look like a band of starved, scarred, or scary children. “They are. None of them date, though. A rumour went around when they first got here that they were all together - as in,  _ together _ -together.” Her voice held all the shock and condemnation of the small town, Bella noted critically. But, if she was being honest, she had to admit that in Phoenix, they would have caused gossip far worse that just that.

  
  
“Are any of them related?” Bella asked. “None of them look related but five foster kids is a lot and hard to get if they're not related.”

  
  
“Oh,” Angela said, probably expecting Bella to assume Jasper and Alice were siblings. Bella figured they weren't, their faces were far too different. But Angela knew the kind of assumptions people made, she was one of two Mexican families in town and people asked her if they were cousins all the time. “none of them are. Dr. Cullen is really young, in his twenties or early thirties. They’re all adopted. I think Rosalie may have been Mrs. Cullen's niece and Edward was like one of Dr. Cullen's cousin's kid or something.” 

  
  
“They look a little old for foster children.” Bella said absentmindedly.    
  
“They are now, but from what I've heard they've lived with the Cullens for a long time.” Jessica said.    
  
“That’s really kind of nice – for them to take care of all those kids like that, when they’re so young and everything.”

  
  
“I guess so,” Jessica admitted reluctantly, and Bella got the impression that she didn’t like the doctor and his wife for some reason. With the glances she was throwing at their adopted children, Bella assumed the reason was jealousy. “I think that Mrs. Cullen can’t have any kids, though,” she added, as if that somehow lessened their kindness.

  
  
Throughout all this conversation, Bella's eyes flickered again and again to the table where the strange family sat. They continued to look at the walls and not eat. After a few more minutes, the five of them left the table together. They all were noticeably graceful – even the big, brawny one. It was unsettling to watch. The one named Edward didn’t look at them again.

  
  
Bella sat at the table with Angela and her friends longer than she would have if she’d been sitting alone. She was anxious not to be late for class on her first day. Since Angela had Biology II with Bella the next hour, they walked to class together. It was a quiet walk, but nice. The pair had never really needed much words between them.

  
  
When they entered the classroom, Angela went to sit at a blacktopped lab table exactly like the ones Bella was used to from Phoenix. She already had a neighbor. In fact, all the tables were filled but one. Next to the center aisle, Bella recognized Edward Cullen by his unusual hair, sitting next to that single open seat.  _ So Angela was right _ , Bella thought as the  _ something  _ returned,  _ I'm gonna have to sit with him. _

  
  
As she walked down the aisle to introduce myself to the teacher and get her slip signed, Bella was watching him surreptitiously. Just as she passed, he suddenly went rigid in his seat. He stared at Bella again, meeting her eyes with the strangest expression on his face – it was hostile, furious. Nothing like the vaguely amused look she'd received in the lunchroom. She looked away quickly, going red again. Bella stumbled over a book in the walkway and had to catch herself on the edge of a table. The girl sitting there giggled.   
  


Bella noticed that she was wrong about his eyes. They were black – coal black.   


  
Mr. Banner signed Bella's slip and handed her a book with no nonsense about introductions. She could tell they were going to get along. Of course, he had no choice but to send her to the one open seat at the edge of the room next to the windows. Bella kept my eyes down as she went to sit by the Cullen boy, bewildered by the antagonistic stare he’d  given her before.   


  
Bella refused to look up as she sat her book on the table and took her seat, but nonetheless saw his posture change from the corner of her eye. He was leaning away from her, sitting on the extreme edge of his chair and averting his face like he smelled something bad. Inconspicuously, Bella sniffed her hair. It smelled like green apple, the scent of her favorite shampoo. It seemed an innocent enough odor. Confused, she let her hair fall over her right shoulder, making a dark curtain between them and tried to pay attention to the teacher.   


  
Unfortunately the lecture was on cellular anatomy, something she’d already studied. The young girl took notes carefully anyway, always looking down.   


  
Eventually, though, curiosity got the better of her and she couldn’t stop herself from peeking occasionally through the screen of hair at the strange boy next to her. During the whole class, he never relaxed his stiff position on the edge of his chair, sitting as far from Bella as possible. The brown-eyed girl could see his hand on his left leg was clenched into a fist, tendons standing out under his pale skin. This, too, he never relaxed. He had the long sleeves of his white shirt pushed up to his elbows, revealing his small forearms. Though he wasn’t nearly as slight as he’d looked next to his burly brothers, Edward Cullen was still small.   


  
The class seemed to drag on longer than the others.  _ Is it because the day was finally coming to a close, or because I’m was waiting for his tight fist to loosen? _ Bella thought to herself. It never did; he continued to sit so still it looked like he wasn’t breathing.  _ What’s wrong with him? Is this his normal behavior? _ Bella started to questioned her judgment on Jessica’s bitterness at lunch, but she also wondered why Alice was the one that got ‘weird’ as her descriptor when Bella was sat next to an angry, starving statue of a child. Maybe she wasn’t as resentful as Bella had thought, just misguided in her assessment of which Cullen was the freak.  _ It couldn’t have anything to do with  _ **_me_ ** , she rationed. How could it? He didn’t know Bella from Eve.   


  
Bella peeked up at him one more time, and regretted it. He was glaring down at her again, his black eyes full of revulsion. As Bella flinched away from him, shrinking against her chair, the phrase  _ if looks could kill _ suddenly ran through her mind.   


  
At that moment, the bell rang loudly, making Bella jump, and Edward Cullen was out of his seat. Fluidly he rose – he was much taller than Bella had thought – his back to Bella, and he was out the door before anyone else was out of their seat.   


  
Bella sat frozen in her chair, staring blankly after him. He was so mean. It wasn’t fair. Bella began gathering up her things slowly, trying to block the anger that filled her for fear her eyes would tear up. For some reason, her temper was hardwired to her tear ducts. She was an angry crier, something she thought of as a humiliating tendency.   


  
“Aren’t you Isabella Swan?” a male voice suddenly asked, snapping Bella out of her thoughts.   
  


She looked up to see a cute, baby-faced boy, his pale blond hair carefully gelled into orderly spikes, smiling at her in a friendly way.  **_He_ ** _ obviously doesn’t think I smell bad _ , Bella thought bitterly.   
  


“Bella,” she corrected him with a smile, shoving her angry thoughts away.   
“I’m Mike.”   
“Hi, Mike.”   
“Do you need any help finding your next class?”   
“I’m headed to the gym, actually. I think I can find it.”   
“That’s my next class, too.” He seemed thrilled, though it wasn’t that big of a coincidence in a school this small.   


  
The pair walked to class together; he was a chatterer – he supplied most of the conversation, which made it easy for Bella. He’d lived in California till he was ten, so he knew how she felt about the sun. It turned out he was in Bella’s English class also - the Mike she’d remembered from attendance. He was the nicest new person Bella had met that day.   


  
But as they were entering the gym, he asked, “So, did you stab Edward Cullen with a pencil or what? I’ve never seen him act like that.”   


  
Bella cringed.  _ So I wasn’t the only one who had noticed _ , Bella thought. And, apparently, that wasn’t Edward Cullen’s usual behavior. Bella decided to play dumb.   
  


“Was that the boy I sat next to in Biology?” she asked artlessly. 

 

“Yes,” he said. “He looked like he was in pain or something.”

  
“I don’t know,” Bella responded. “I never spoke to him.”   
  


“He’s a weird guy.” Mike lingered by Bella instead of heading to the dressing room. “If I were lucky enough to sit by you, I would have talked to you.”  Bella smiled at him before walking through the girls’ locker room door. He was friendly and clearly admiring. But it wasn’t enough to ease her irritation.   


  
The Gym teacher, Coach Clapp, found Bella a uniform but didn’t make me dress down for today’s class. At home, only two years of P.E. were required. Here, P.E. was mandatory all four years. Forks was beginning to look like Bella’s own personal hell on Earth.   
  


She watched four volleyball games running simultaneously. Remembering how many injuries she had sustained – and inflicted – playing volleyball made her shudder and feel faintly nauseated.   


  
After what felt like eons, the final bell rang at last. Bella walked slowly to the office to return her paperwork, thankful at least that the rain had drifted away even if the wind was strong. And colder. Bella forgot what it was like to feel wind this cold.

  
When she walked into the warm office, she almost turned around and walked right back out.   
  


Edward Cullen stood at the desk in front of her, again recognizable mainly for his hair. He didn’t appear to notice the sound of Bella’s entrance. The brunette stood pressed against the back wall and waited for the receptionist to be free.   
  


He was arguing with her in a low, attractive voice and Bella quickly picked up the gist of the argument. Her. He was trying to trade from sixth-hour Biology to another time – any other time.   
  


Bella could hardly believe that this was about her. It had to be something else, something that happened before she entered the Biology room, but she knew in her heart it wasn’t. She wanted to believe that the look on his face must have been about another aggravation entirely, that it was impossible that this stranger could take such a sudden, intense dislike to her. Try as she might, she couldn’t make herself buy the lie.   
  


The door opened again, and the cold wind suddenly gusted through the room, rustling the papers on the desk. It swirled Bella’s hair around her face, giving her another strong whiff of the green apple scent. The girl who came in merely stepped to the desk, placed a note in the wire basket, and walked out again. But Edward Cullen’s back stiffened, and he turned slowly to glare at Bella – his face was hollow and sunken – with piercing, hate-filled eyes. For an instant, Bella felt the  _ something _ turn into a thrill of genuine fear. The look only lasted a second, but it chilled her more than the freezing wind and raised the hair on her arms. He turned back to the receptionist.   
  


“Never mind, then,” he said hastily in a voice like velvet. “I can see that it’s impossible. Thank you so much for your help.”  And he turned on his heel without another look at Bella and disappeared out the door.

  
  
Meekly, Bella shuffled up to the desk, her face white for once instead of red, and handed the receptionist the signed slip.   


  
“How did your first day go, dear?” the receptionist asked maternally.   
  


“Fine,” Bella lied, her voice weak. The receptionist didn’t look convinced. Bella didn’t blame her.    
  


When Bella got to the truck, it was almost the last car in the lot. It seemed like a haven, already the closest thing to comfort she had in this damp green hole of a school. She sat inside for a while, just staring out the windshield blankly. But soon the cold had creeped in enough to need the heater, so she turned the key and the engine roared to life. 

 

Bella headed back to Charlie’s house, fighting tears the whole way there.

_ What the hell is wrong with the Cullens? _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> come chat with me @killerofthestars or my twilight-specific sideblog @skinofakiller on tumblr


	3. The Following Week (or; how Bella accidentally befriended a kid who probably definitely wants her gone)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The following week of school is rough for Bella, but she survives. Out of spite, perhaps, but that's still survival nonetheless.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> once again i'm sorry about spacing, i'm just too lazy to fix it rn

The next day was better… and worse.

 

It was better because it wasn't raining yet, though the clouds were dense and opaque. It was easier because Bella knew what to expect of her day. Mike came to sit by her in English, and walked her to my next class, with Eric glaring at him all the while; that was nattering. People didn't look at her quite as much as they had yesterday. She sat with a big group at lunch that included Angela, Mike, Eric, Jessica, and several other people whose names and faces Bella now remembered. Slowly, Bella began to feel like she was treading water instead of drowning in it.

 

It was worse because Bella was tired; she still couldn't really sleep with the wind echoing around the house. It was worse because Mr. Varner called on her in Trig when her hand wasn't raised and she had the wrong answer. It was miserable because she had to play volleyball, and the one time she didn't cringe out of the way of the ball, she’d hit her teammate in the head with it.

 

And it was worse because Edward Cullen wasn't in school at all.

 

All morning Bella had been dreading lunch. She feared his hate-filled glares and clenched fists. Part of her wanted to confront him and demand to know what his problem was. While she was lying sleepless in her bed, Bella even imagined what she would say. But the _something_ she felt when she looked at the Cullens was there when she thought about them, too. That _something_ turned her into a coward. With that _something,_ Bella made the Cowardly Lion look like the terminator.

 

But when she walked into the cafeteria with Jessica — trying to keep her eyes from sweeping the place for him and failing epically — she saw that his four siblings of sorts were sitting together at the same table, but he wasn’t with them. The pretty blonde one, Rosalie, caught Bella’s eye and glared almost as fiercely as her brother had. Bella’s head went down but her anger spiked, daring her to ignore the _something_ and glare back. She didn’t, of course, but when she glanced back at the table, Jasper was leaned close to now-frowning Rosalie with a smirk, whispering in her ear.

 

Mike intercepted Bella and Jessica before Bella could watch any more, steering them to his table. Jessica seemed elated by the attention, especially when Angela and her friends quickly joined them. But as Bella tried to listen to their easy chatter, she was terribly uncomfortable, waiting nervously for the moment Edward would arrive. Bella hoped that he would simply ignore her when he came and prove her suspicions false.

 

He didn't come, and as time passed Bella grew more and more tense, the _something_ she felt getting worse with her anxiety.

 

But she walked to Biology with more confidence when, by the end of lunch, he still hadn't showed. Mike, who was taking on the qualities of a golden retriever, walked faithfully by Bella and Angela’s sides to class. She held her breath at the door, but Edward Cullen wasn't there, either. She exhaled happily and went to her seat. Mike and Angela followed, talking about an upcoming trip to the beach.

 

Though Angela left shortly after, Mike lingered by Bella’s desk till the bell rang. Then he smiled at her wistfully and went to sit by a girl with braces and a bad perm. It looked like she was going to have to do something about Mike, and it wouldn't be easy. In a town like this, where everyone lived on top of everyone else, diplomacy was essential. Bella had never been enormously tactful; she also had no practice dealing with overly friendly boys. Maybe she would just get a girlfriend. Now it was Bella’s turn to smile wistfully, as if she would ever get the guts to talk to a girl.

 

Bella was relieved that she had the desk to herself since Edward was absent. She told herself that repeatedly, but couldn't get rid of the nagging suspicion that _she_ was the reason he wasn't there. Bella felt it was ridiculous, and egotistical, to think that she could affect anyone that strongly. It was impossible. But she couldn’t deny what had happened in the office the day before, nor could she ignore the hatred Edward and his family seemed to harbour for her already.

 

When the school day was finally done, and the blush was fading out of Bella’s cheeks from the volleyball incident, she changed quickly back into her jeans and navy blue sweater and hurried from the girls' locker room; pleased to find that she had successfully evaded her retriever friend for the moment. Bella walked swiftly out to the parking lot. It was crowded now with fleeing students so she got into her truck and dug through her bag to make sure she had what she needed.

 

Last night Bella had requested that she be assigned kitchen detail for the duration of her stay, like she was in the summer, and Charlie was willing enough to hand over the keys to the banquet hall. Charlie couldn't cook much besides fried eggs and bacon. Well, that was a lie. He had lived mainly on his own for a long time. Really, he just couldn’t bothered to cook much else. Bella also found out that he had little to no food in the house, so armed with a shopping list and the cash from the jar in the cupboard labeled FOOD MONEY, she was on route to the Thriftway.

 

Bella gunned her deafening engine to life, ignoring the heads that turned in her direction, and backed carefully into a place in the line of cars that were waiting to exit the parking lot. As she waited, trying to pretend that the ear splitting rumble was coming from someone else's car, she saw the Cullens getting into their car. It was the shiny new Volvo. Of course. She hadn't really noticed their clothes before - too intrigued by their faces - but now that she looked, it was obvious that they were all dressed exceptionally well; simply, but in clothes that subtly hinted at designer origins. With their off putting nature and the style with which they carried themselves, fearful and tense yet very much in charge, Bella figured that it didn’t matter what they wore. It bought them no acceptance here.

 

Bella didn't fully believe that they minded in the least. The isolation must be their desire; Bella couldn't imagine any door that wouldn't be opened by having the apparently-rich town doctor as daddy.

 

They eyed Bella’s noisy truck as she passed them, just like everyone else. She kept her eyes straight forward and was relieved when she was finally free of the school grounds.

 

The Thriftway was not far from the school, just a few streets south, off the highway. It was nice to be inside the supermarket; it felt normal. Bella had almost always done the shopping at home and fell into the pattern of the familiar task gladly. The store was big enough inside that she couldn't hear the tapping of the rain on the roof.

 

When she got home, Bella unloaded all the groceries, stuffing them in wherever she could find an open space. She hoped Charlie wouldn't mind but seriously doubted he would anyway. Deciding on dinner, Bella wrapped potatoes in foil and stuck them in the oven to bake, covered two steaks in marinade and balanced them on top of a carton of eggs in the fridge.

 

When she finished with that she took her book bag upstairs to do her homework in her room. Before starting, thought, she changed into a pair of dry sweats, pulled her damp hair up into a bun, and checked her email for the first time since leaving Phoenix. She had three messages.

 

" **Bella,** " her mom wrote…

 

**Write me as soon as you get in. Tell me how your flight was. Is it raining? I miss you already. I'm almost finished packing for Florida, but I can't find my pink blouse. Do you know where I put it? Phil says hi. Mom.**

 

Bella sighed and went to the next. It was sent eight hours after the first.

 

" **Bella,** " she wrote…

 

**Why haven't you emailed me yet? What are you waiting for? Mom.**

 

The last was from this morning.

 

**Isabella,**

**If I haven't heard from you by 5:30 p.m. today I'm calling Charlie.**

 

Bella checked the clock. She still had an hour, but her mom was well known for jumping the gun.

 

**Mom,**

**Calm down. I'm writing right now. Don't do anything rash.**

 

**Bella.**

 

She sent that, hoping to placate her mom, and began again.

 

**Mom,**

**Everything is great. Of course it's raining. I was waiting for something to write about. School isn't bad, just a little repetitive. I met some nice kids who sit by me at lunch. Your blouse is at the dry cleaners - you were supposed to pick it up Friday. Charlie bought me a truck, can you believe it? I love it. It's old, but really sturdy, which is good, you know, for me.**

 

**I miss you, too. I'll write again soon, but I'm not going to check my email every five minutes. Relax, breathe. I love you.**

**Bella.**

 

After replying to her mother, who despised texting but loved emailing, Bella decided to email her cousin too. The pair had never been overly close, Bree being a few years younger than the 17 year old and a bit strange. But they were family, and Bella knew that Bree was going through a rough time at home and also didn't have a phone. So emailing would have to do.

 

**Bree,**

**It’s Bella. Again. I get that you don't really feel like talking about anything, so how about you tell me about something else instead? Whatever you want. Or I could bore you with my monster hunting shenanigans. It's up to you.**

 

**Love you, talk soon,**

**Bella**

 

Bella pressed send with a sigh and decided to read Wuthering Heights — the novel they were currently studying in English — yet again for the fun of it, and that's what she was still doing when Charlie came home. Bella, who'd lost track of the time, hurried downstairs to take the potatoes out and put the steak in to broil.

 

"Bella?" her father called out when he heard her on the stairs. _Who else?_ Bella thought to herself, more amused than anything by her father.

 

"Hey, Dad, welcome home."

 

"Thanks." He hung up his gun belt and stepped out of his boots as his daughter bustled about the kitchen. As far as Bella was aware, he'd never shot the gun on the job. But he kept it ready. When she came here as a child, he would always remove the bullets as soon as he walked in the door. Bella figured he considered her old enough now not to shoot herself by accident, and not depressed enough to shoot herself on purpose.

 

"What's for dinner?" he asked warily. Bella’s mother was an imaginative cook, and her experiments weren't always the most edible. Bella had never taken after her in that way, but her father always seemed to feel the need to double check. Almost like he expected her to go from chicken and rice to baked kale chips and tofu.

 

"Steak and potatoes," Bella answered with a teasing smile and laughed at the look of relief on her father’s face.

 

Charlie seemed to feel awkward standing in the kitchen doing nothing; he lumbered into the living room to watch TV while Bella worked. It was routine, almost, and they were both more comfortable that way. Bella made a salad while the steaks cooked and set the table. She called him in when dinner was ready, and he sniffed appreciatively as he walked into the room.

 

"Smells good, Bell."

 

"Thanks."

 

The pair ate in silence for a few minutes. It wasn't uncomfortable, neither of them had ever been bothered by the quiet. In some ways, they were well suited for living together. "So, how did you like school? Have you made any friends? I know Angela was surprised to see you, but do you talk to people outside of her?" Charlie asked as he was taking seconds.

 

"Well, I have a few classes with a girl named Jessica. I sit with her friends at lunch. And there's this boy, Mike, who's very friendly. Everybody seems pretty nice." Bella said but _with one outstanding exception_ was the only thing that ran through her head.

 

"That must be Mike Newton. Nice kid — nice family. His dad owns the sporting goods store just outside of town. He makes a good living off all the backpackers who come through here."

 

"Do you know the Cullen family?" Bella asked hesitantly. She had been thinking about asking Charlie the night before, but it was only after noticing the blonde’s glare that she had started to think that maybe they just didn’t like her because they had had some runs ins with her dad.

 

"Dr. Cullen's family? Sure. Dr. Cullen's a great man."

 

"They… the kids… are a little different. They don't seem to fit in very well at school."

 

Charlie surprised her by looking angry.

 

"People in this town," he muttered. "Dr. Cullen is a brilliant surgeon who could probably work in any hospital in the world, make ten times the salary he gets here," he continued, getting louder. "We're lucky to have him — lucky that his wife wanted to live in a small town. He's an asset to the community, and all of those kids are well behaved and polite. I had my doubts, when they first moved in, with all those adopted teenagers. I thought we might have some problems with them. But they're all very mature — I haven't had one speck of trouble from any of them. That's more than I can say for the children of some folks who have lived in this town for generations. And they stick together the way a family should — camping trips every other weekend… Just because they're newcomers, people have to talk."

 

It was the longest speech Bella had ever heard Charlie make. He must feel strongly about whatever people were saying. It may have been sweet if it hadn’t busted such a massive hole in her theory.

 

Knowing her dad was riled up, Bella backpedaled. "They seemed nice enough to me. I just noticed they kept to themselves. They're all very attractive," she added, trying to be more complimentary.

 

"You should see the doctor," Charlie said, laughing. "It's a good thing he's happily married. A lot of the nurses at the hospital have a hard time concentrating on their work with him around."

 

The pair lapsed back into silence as they finished eating. Bella couldn’t help but fixate on her father’s obvious man-crush on Dr. Cullen. _Or maybe it’s not a “man-crush”,_ Bella thought, _maybe it’s just a crush._ Bella smiled a bit at the thought of hanging a pride flag in Charlie’s fishing gear like he had done to her pencil case, but she knew he would combust if anyone saw it. Plus, she had no proof, just a hunch and a semi-accurate gaydar.

 

Charlie cleared the table while Bella started on the dishes. He went back to the TV, and after Bella finished washing the dishes by hand — still no dishwasher — she went upstairs unwillingly to work on her math homework. Bella could feel their tradition making its way back into their lives.

 

That night it was finally quiet. Bella fell asleep quickly, exhausted.

 

The rest of the week was uneventful. Bella got used to the routine of her classes and by Friday she was able to recognize, if not name, almost all the students at school. In Gym, the kids on her team learned not to pass her the ball and to step quickly in front of her if the other team tried to take advantage of that weakness. Bella happily stayed out of their way. Edward Cullen didn't come back to school.

 

Every day, she watched anxiously until the rest of the Cullens entered the cafeteria without him. Then she could relax and join in the lunchtime conversation. Mostly it centered around a trip to the La Push in two weeks that Mike was putting together. Bella was invited, but had mainly agreed to go out of politeness rather than desire. If she wanted to go to La Push she would go with Jake. Besides, La Push was almost as wet as Forks. Beaches should be hot and dry.

 

By Friday Bella was perfectly comfortable entering her Biology class, no longer worried that Edward would be there. For all she knew, he had dropped out of school. She tried not to think about him, but Bella couldn't totally suppress the worry that she was responsible for his continued absence.

 

Bella’s first weekend in Forks passed without incident. Charlie, unused to spending time in the usually empty house, worked most of the weekend. The young girl cleaned the house, got ahead on her homework, and wrote her mom more bogusly cheerful emails. She drove to the library Saturday, but it was so poorly stocked that she didn't bother to get a card; she would have to make a date to visit Olympia or Seattle soon and find a good bookstore. Bella wondered idly what kind of gas mileage the truck got… and shuddered at the thought. The rain stayed soft over the weekend, quiet, so she was able to sleep.

 

The most exciting part of her weekend came on Sunday night. Jake called her - on her cellphone, thankfully - to ask her how her first week had gone, if she made any friends, if she still believed in faeries, etc. It felt nice talking to Jake, warm and happy and natural, like there was no pressure. Even talking to Angela at school had a certain level of pressure involved, since Bella didn’t know if School! Angela wanted to be treated the same as Summer! Angie.

 

“Hey, Pale Face,” Jake greeted her as usual.

“Hey, kiddo,” Bella teased back.

 

The two-year age difference, realistically, meant absolutely nothing to the pair. But the teasing was nice. Sibling-like.

 

“So how’s school going? Did you make any friends?”

“Yes, _dad_ , I did. It’s going good. Mike invited me up to La Push with him and his friends next weekend.”

“Oh, I see how it is. One of the pretty boys from school asks you to go to La Push and you agree, but you won’t come and see your own best friend,”

 

Bella and Jake both laughed, knowing there was no hard feelings between them.

 

“Jackass,” Bella shot back, “if I text you an S.O.S. do you promise to come save me?”

 

“Always,” Jake said and Bella smiled. They continued to walk for another half hour or so before Bella hung up so Jake could go to bed. He wounded tired, even over the phone, and Bella could tell without even seeing him the level of sleepy-eyes he was sporting.

 

People greeted Bella in the parking lot Monday morning. She didn't know all their names, but she waved back and smiled at everyone. It was colder this morning, but happily not raining. In English, Mike took his accustomed seat by Bella’s side. They had a pop quiz on Wuthering Heights. It was straightforward and easy, but Bella was clearly the only one who’d thought so and kindly let Mike cheat.

 

All in all, she was feeling a lot more comfortable than she had thought she would feel by this point. More comfortable than she had ever expected to feel here. School had always been a lonely, deadline-filled hell for Bella, but it seemed to be different here in Forks.

 

It was snowing at lunch. Mike caught up to Bella and Jessica as they walked to the doors, laughing, with ice melting the spikes in his hair. He and Jessica were talking animatedly about the snow fight Bella had actively avoided - binder in hands as a makeshift shield - as they got in line to buy food. Bella glanced toward that table in the corner out of habit. Before she could really process anything she froze where she stood and dared to take a second glance. There were five people at the table.

 

Jessica pulled on her arm. "Hello? Bella? What do you want?"

 

Bella looked down; her ears were hot. She had no reason to feel self-conscious, realistically, because she hadn't done anything wrong. But still, she felt like a child being chastised for doing something they hadn’t known was wrong.

 

"What's with Bella?" Mike asked Jessica.

 

"Nothing," Bella answered. "I'll just get a soda today." she caught up to the end of the line.

 

"Aren't you hungry?" Jessica asked.

 

"Actually, I feel a little sick," Bella said, her eyes still on the floor. It wasn’t an absolute lie.

 

Bella waited for them to get their food and followed them to a table, her eyes on her feet. At the table, Bella sipped her soda slowly, stomach churning. Twice Mike asked, with unnecessary concern, how she was feeling.

 

She told him it was nothing, but wondered if she should play it up and escape to the nurse's office for the next hour. _Ridiculous_ , she told herself, _I shouldn't have to run away._

 

Bella decided to permit herself one glance at the Cullen family's table. If he was glaring at her, she would skip Biology like the coward the _something_ told her to be. She kept her head down and glanced up under her lashes. None of them were looking her way so she lifted her head a little.

 

They were laughing. Edward, Jasper, and Emmett all had their hair entirely saturated with melting snow. Alice and Rosalie were leaning away as Emmett shook his dripping hair toward them. They were enjoying the snowy day, just like everyone else — only they looked more out of place than the rest of the students.

 

But, aside from the laughter and playfulness, there was something different that Bella couldn't quite pinpoint. She noticed they were different - everyone had to - but this difference was, well, a _different_ different. She examined Edward the most carefully, since she was more familiar with him than his family (though she couldn’t help it when the blonde one drew her gaze, too). His skin was less pale, Bella decided — flushed from the snow fight maybe? — the circles under his eyes much less noticeable. But there was something more. Bella pondered, staring, trying to isolate the change.

 

"Bella, what are you staring at?" Jessica intruded, her eyes following the other girl’s line of vision. At that precise moment, his eyes flashed over to meet Bella’s.

 

She dropped her head, ignored the hot spike of anger and _something_ that shot through her, and let her hair fall to conceal her face. She was sure, though, in the instant their eyes met, that he didn't look harsh or unfriendly as he had the last time they'd seen each other. He looked merely curious again, unsatisfied in some way.

 

"Edward Cullen is staring at you," Jessica giggled in Bella’s ear.

"He doesn't look angry, does he?" she couldn't help asking.

"No," she said, sounding confused by Bella’s question. "Should he be?"

"I don't think he likes me," she confided, still feeling queasy. She put her head down on her arm.

"The Cullens don't like anybody…well, they don't notice anybody enough to like them. But he's still staring at you."

"Stop looking at him," Bella hissed.

 

Jessica snickered but looked away. Bella raised her head enough to make sure that she had, contemplating violence if she’d resisted.

 

Mike interrupted them then — he was planning an epic battle of the blizzard in the parking lot after school and wanted them to join. Jessica agreed enthusiastically. The way she looked at Mike left little doubt that she would be up for anything he suggested. Bella kept silent and decided she would have to hide in the gym until the parking lot cleared. For the rest of the lunch hour she very carefully kept her eyes at her own table and decided to honor the bargain she'd made with herself. Since he didn't look angry, she would go to Biology. Her stomach did frightened little flips, filling with the _something_ , at the thought of sitting next to him again. Bella didn't really want to walk to class with Mike as usual — he seemed to be a popular target for the snowball snipers — but when they went to the door, everyone besides Bella groaned in unison. It was raining, washing all traces of the snow away in clear, icy ribbons down the side of the walkway. Bella pulled her hood up, secretly pleased. She would be free to go straight home after Gym.

 

Mike kept up a string of complaints on the way to building four.

 

Once inside the classroom, Bella saw with relief that her table was still empty. Mr. Banner was walking around the room, distributing one microscope and box of slides to each table. Class didn't start for a few minutes, and the room buzzed with conversation. Bella kept her eyes away from the door, doodling idly on the cover of her notebook. She heard very clearly when the chair next to her moved but she refused to give him the satisfaction of being acknowledged. She kept her eyes stayed carefully focused on the pattern she was drawing.

 

"Hello," said a quiet, musical voice.

 

Bella’s head whipped up, stunned that he was speaking to her. He was sitting as far away from her as the desk allowed, but his chair was angled toward her. His hair was dripping wet, disheveled — even so, clearly having just gotten out of the rain and a snowball fight, his face wasn’t red. His face, in fact still hollow and sunken, was friendly and open, a slight smile on his lips. But his eyes were careful.

 

"My name is Edward Cullen," he continued. "I didn't have a chance to introduce myself last week. You must be Bella Swan."

 

Bella’s mind was spinning with confusion. _Had I made up the whole thing?_ she thought, but the _something_ burning in her heart and stomach confirmed that she hadn’t. Nevertheless, he was perfectly polite now, and he was expecting an answer. She had to speak; he was waiting. But Bella couldn't think of anything conventional to say.

 

"H-How do you know my name?" she finally managed to stammer out.

 

He laughed a soft, enchanting laugh. _No_ , the thought cut through the haze seeming to take over it, _he has a normal laugh. A normal voice. He’s nothing special, smarten up._ Bella shuddered.

 

"Oh, I think everyone knows your name. The whole town's been waiting for you to arrive."

 

Bella grimaced. She knew it was something like that, but persisted stupidly nonetheless. "No," she said, trying to clarify, "I meant, why did you call me Bella?"

 

He seemed confused. "Do you prefer Isabella?"

 

"No, I like Bella," she said. "But I think Charlie — I mean my dad — must call me Isabella behind my back — that's what everyone here seems to know me as," she tried to explain, feeling like an utter moron. “Plus, people don’t typically begin with a nickname.”

 

"Oh." He let it drop. Bella looked away awkwardly but couldn’t help but feel smug that he felt awkward now, too.

 

Thankfully, Mr. Banner started class at that moment. Bella tried to concentrate as he explained the lab they would be doing today. The slides in the box were out of order. Working as lab partners, they had to separate the slides of onion root tip cells into the phases of mitosis they represented and label them accordingly, but they weren't allowed to use their books. In twenty minutes, he would be coming around to see who had it right. "Get started," he commanded.

 

"Ladies first, partner?" Edward asked. Bella looked up to see him smiling a crooked smile so smug and casual that she could only stare at him like an idiot.

 

"Or I could start, if you wish." The smile faded; he was obviously wondering if she was mentally competent.

 

"No," Bella said, flushing. "I'll go ahead."

 

She couldn’t help showing off, just a little. She'd already done this lab and knew what she was looking for. It would be easy. Bella snapped the first slide into place under the microscope and adjusted it quickly to the 40X objective. She studied the slide briefly.

 

Her assessment was confident. "Prophase."

 

"Do you mind if I look?" he asked as Bella began to remove the slide. His hand caught hers to stop hers as he asked. His fingers were ice-cold, like he'd been holding them in a snowdrift before class. But that wasn't the only reason Bella jerked her hand away so quickly; when he touched her, it stung Bella’s hand as if an electric current had passed through it.

 

"I'm sorry," he muttered, pulling his hand back immediately. However, he continued to reach for the microscope. Bella watched him, still staggered, as he examined the slide for an even shorter time than she had.

 

"Prophase," he agreed, writing it neatly in the first space on their worksheet. He swiftly switched out the first slide for the second, and then glanced at it cursorily.

"Anaphase," he murmured, writing it down as he spoke.

Bella kept her voice indifferent. "May I?"

 

He smirked and pushed the microscope to her. She looked through the eyepiece eagerly, only to be disappointed. _Damn it, he’s right_. "Slide three?" Bella held out her hand without looking at him. He handed it to her; it seemed like he was being careful not to touch her skin again. Bella took the most fleeting look she could manage.

 

"Interphase." she passed him the microscope before he could ask for it. He took a swift peek, and then wrote it down. Bella would have written it while he looked, but his clear, elegant script intimidated her. She didn't want to spoil the page with her clumsy scrawl. Between the two of them, they were finished before anyone else was close. Bella could see Mike and his partner comparing two slides again and again, and another group had their book open under the table.

 

Which left Bella with nothing to do but try to not look at him… unsuccessfully. She glanced up, and he was staring at her, that same inexplicable look of frustration in his eyes. Suddenly Bella identified that subtle difference in his face.

 

"Did you get contacts?" she blurted out unthinkingly.

He seemed puzzled by the unexpected question. "No."

"Oh," Bella mumbled. "I thought there was something different about your eyes."

He shrugged and looked away.

 

In fact, Bella was certain there was something different. She vividly remembered the flat black colour of his eyes the last time he'd glared at her — the colour was strikingly intense against the weak look the rest of him held. But today, his eyes were a completely different color: a strange green, lighter than any other pair of green eyes she had ever seen, but with a grey-ish undertone. The colour she had thought she’d seen in the cafeteria on the first day. Bella didn't understand how that could be, unless he was lying for some reason about the contacts. Or maybe Forks was making her crazy in the literal sense of the word. Bella looked down. His hands were clenched into hard fists again.

 

Mr. Banner came to their table then to see why they weren't working. He looked over their shoulders to glance at the completed lab, and then stared more intently to check the answers.

 

"So, Edward, didn't you think Isabella should get a chance with the microscope?" Mr. Banner asked.

"Bella," Edward corrected automatically. "Actually, she identified three of the five."

Mr. Banner looked at her now; his expression was skeptical.

"Have you done this lab before?" he asked.

Bella smiled sheepishly. "Not with onion root."

"Whitefish blastula?"

"Yeah."

Mr. Banner nodded. "Were you in an advanced placement program in Phoenix ?"

"Yes."

 

"Well," he said after a moment, "I guess it's good you two are lab partners." He mumbled something else as he walked away. After he left, I began doodling on my notebook again.

 

"It's too bad about the snow, isn't it?" Edward asked. Bella had the feeling that he was forcing himself to make small talk with her. Paranoia swept over her again, the _something_ burning inside her and begging her to run.

 

"Not really," Bella  answered honestly, instead of pretending to be normal like everyone else. She was still trying to dislodge the stupid feeling of suspicion and couldn't concentrate.

 

"You don't like the cold." It wasn't a question.

"Or the wet."

"Forks must be a difficult place for you to live," he mused.

"You’d be amazed," Bella muttered.

 

He looked fascinated by what she said, and for some reason it pissed her off. His face was such a distraction that she tried not to look at it any more than courtesy absolutely demanded.

 

"Why did you come here?"

 

No one had asked her that — not straight out like he did, demanding.

 

"It's… complicated."

 

"I think I can keep up," he pressed.

 

Bella paused for a long moment and then made the mistake of meeting his gaze. His dark gold eyes confused her, and she answered without thinking.

 

"My mother got remarried," she told him, _something_ begging her to run away and something else egging her on, telling her to keep going. It was conflicting and enraging.

 

"That doesn't sound so complex," he disagreed but was suddenly sympathetic. "When did that happen?"

 

"Last September." Bella’s voice sounded sad in her own ears.

 

"And you don't like him," Edward surmised, his tone still kind.

 

"No, Phil is fine. Too young, maybe, but nice enough."

 

"Why didn't you stay with them?"

 

Bella couldn't fathom his interest, but he continued to stare at her with penetrating eyes and sunken cheeks, as if her dull life's story was somehow vitally important and a distraction from his own.

 

"Phil travels a lot. He plays ball for a living." Bella half-smiled. She really did like Phil, and she didn’t like baseball enough to follow or judge, but the few times she had seen the man play had been… enough.

 

"Have I heard of him?" he asked, smiling in response.

 

"Probably not. He doesn't play well. Strictly minor league. He moves around a lot."

 

"And your mother sent you here so that she could travel with him." He said it as an assumption again, not a question.

 

Bella’s chin raised a fraction." No, she did not send me here. I sent myself."

 

His eyebrows knit together. "I don't understand," he admitted, and he seemed unnecessarily frustrated by that fact.

 

Bella sighed. _Why am I explaining this to him?_ She questioned herself. He continued to stare at her with obvious curiosity.

 

"She stayed with me at first, but she missed him. It made her unhappy… so I decided it was time to spend some quality time with Charlie." Bella’s voice was glum by the time she finished. She loved Charlie, she really, truly did… but it still hurt knowing that she wasn’t enough for her own mother.

 

"But now you're unhappy," he pointed out.

 

"And?" Bella challenged, fed up with the conversation and the boy she was having it with.

 

"That doesn't seem fair." He shrugged, but his eyes were still intense.

 

The brunette laughed without humor. "Hasn't anyone ever told you? Life isn't fair."

 

"I believe I have heard that somewhere before," he agreed dryly.

 

"So that's all," Bella insisted, wondering why he was still staring at her that way.

 

His gaze became appraising. "You put on a good show," he said slowly. "But I'd be willing to bet that you're suffering more than you let anyone see."

 

Bella grimaced at him, resisting the impulse to stick out her tongue like a five-year-old, and looked away.

 

"Am I wrong?"

 

She tried to ignore him.

 

"I didn't think so," he murmured smugly.

 

"Why does it matter to you ?" Bella snapped, irritated. She kept her eyes away, watching the teacher make his rounds.

 

"That's a very good question," he muttered, so quietly that Bella wondered if he was talking to himself. However, after a few seconds of silence, she decided that was the only answer she was going to get.

 

Bella sighed, scowling at the blackboard.

 

"Am I annoying you?" he asked. He sounded amused.

 

Bella glanced at him without thinking… and told the truth again. "Not exactly. I'm more annoyed at myself. My face is so easy to read — my mother always calls me her open book." she frowned.

 

"On the contrary, I find you very difficult to read." Despite everything that she'd said and he'd guessed, he sounded like he meant it.

 

"You must not be a good reader then," Bella replied.

 

"Usually I am." He smiled widely, flashing a set of perfect, ultra white teeth as if she hadn’t just insulted him.

 

Mr. Banner called the class to order then, and Bella turned with relief to listen. She was in a state of disbelief, wonder why she had just explained her dreary life to this bizarre, ragged boy who may or may not despise her. He'd seemed engrossed in their conversation, but now Bella could see, from the corner of her eye, that he was leaning away from her again, his hands gripping the edge of the table with unmistakable tension.

 

Bella tried to appear attentive as Mr. Banner illustrated, with transparencies on the overhead projector, what she had seen without difficulty through the microscope. But her thoughts were unmanageable. Why had he spoken to her? Did he want to get to know her? Was that his weird way of apologizing? Bella didn’t know, but she didn’t like it. The _something_ she kept feeling never left her.

 

When the bell finally rang, Edward rushed as swiftly and as gracefully from the room as he had last Monday. And, like last Monday, Bella stared after him in amazement. Mike skipped quickly to her side and picked up her books for her. Bella imagined him with a wagging tail.

 

"That was awful," he groaned. "They all looked exactly the same. You're lucky you had Cullen for a partner."

 

"I didn't have any trouble with it," Bella said, stung by his assumption. She regretted the snub instantly. "I've done the lab before, though," she added before he could get his feelings hurt.

 

"Cullen seemed friendly enough today," he commented as they shrugged into their raincoats. He didn't seem pleased about it.

 

Bella tried to sound indifferent. "I wonder what was with him last Monday."

 

For the rest of the day, Bella couldn't concentrate. It wasn't a huge deal during laps, but it had ended with her teammates all valiantly taking turns covering her position and flinching when she served. Bella understood.

 

She changed quickly after gym, hating the change rooms and PE and Forks High School and 5 haunting, striking adopted kids within it. She was so consumed by her thoughts that even the deafening roar of her beast couldn't shake her out of it and as a result, she almost rear-ended a Toyota. She thinks. She didn't know cars, but she did know insurance, and her monster would have turned the small car into a pancake. Somehow, Bella doubted the insurance company would accept ‘distracted from a conversation with a boy who hates me’ as a legitimate excuse.

 

On her way out of the parking lot, she saw the Cullens laughing. 


	4. The Accident (or; how Bella almost got crushed by a van only to be saved by a hot blonde)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Van Scene™

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I posted two chapters in one day as an apology for the massive delay

When Bella opened her eyes the next morning, something was different.

 

It was the light. It was still the gray-green light of a cloudy day in the forest, but it was clearer somehow. Bella realized there was no fog veiling her window. She jumped up to look outside, hoping she was wrong, and then groaned in horror.

 

A fine layer of snow covered the yard, dusted the top of her truck, and whitened the road. But that wasn't the worst part. All the rain from yesterday had frozen solid — coating the needles on the trees in fantastic, gorgeous patterns, and making the driveway a deadly ice slick. Bella had enough trouble not falling down when the ground was dry; it might be safer for her to just go back to bed right then than try and face the day before her.

 

Charlie had left for work before she got downstairs. In a lot of ways, living with Charlie was like having her own place, but Bella found her self reveling in the aloneness instead of being lonely. Alone she was used to.

 

Bella threw down a quick bowl of cereal and some orange juice from the carton. She felt strangely excited to go to school, and that scared her. She had gotten an email from the school the night before about potentially moving up to senior english. The class had two spots available after Forks only set of twins moved away and her marks were good enough for her to be one of the one to fill it. Bella knew it wasn't the most stimulating learning environment, but moving up a whole grade would look fantastic on a college application and she figured it would be nice not to be so bored in English all the time. 

 

_ If only I could change bio, _ Bella thought wistfully, trying to block out memories of that first day with Edward and also the day before. After her brainless and embarrassing babbling, Bella felt awkward even thinking about him. And she was still suspicious of him; why should he lie about his eyes? She was still frightened of the hostility she sometimes felt emanating from him, and sometimes still wondered if he would actually try to hurt her. The  _ something _ burned inside of her the more she dwelled on this and she wasn't at all anxious to see him again.

 

It took every ounce of her concentration to make it down the icy brick driveway alive. Bella almost lost her balance when she finally got to the truck, but managed to cling to the side mirror and save herself. Clearly, today was going to be nightmarish.

 

Driving to school, Bella distracted herself from her fear of falling and excitement for English by trying to figure out the Cullens. Perhaps it was because she was a novelty here, where novelties were few and far between, that she wanted to figure out the other apparent novelties. Maybe she was just desperate not to be the freakiest thing in Forks, though her crippling clumsiness seemed to be viewed as endearing rather than pathetic. Whatever the case, the Cullens captivated her in a weird, terrifying way. 

 

Her truck seemed to have no problem with the black ice that covered the roads. She drove very slowly nonetheless, not wanting to carve a path of destruction through Main Street. Then it wouldn’t matter how freaky the Cullens were or if her clumsy nature made her a damsel in distress - she would be the talk of the town until the day she died. 

 

Getting to school didn’t lead to any accidents, though, so Bella felt a bit more confidence as she hobbled across the parking lot to the front office. She grabbed another sign in sheet for her new English teacher to sign, this time being genuine when she told the redheaded secretary she was doing well in Forks. 

 

Just like the first day, Bella made it to her English class early to get her slip signed. Instead of Mr. Mason, who had admittedly freaked Bella out a bit, this class was taught by Ms. Langford, a pretty blonde woman around Bella’s mom’s age. She signed Bella’s slip, welcomed her to class with a warm smile, and then let Bella sit in the back left corner. The other bump up student would be sitting with her, she was told, and it relaxed her a bit to know she wouldn’t have to sit with a senior. 

 

A few minutes before the bell rang, Bella heard the door open and looked up from the course outline Ms. Langford had given her and who she saw made her heart stop. There, standing at the teacher’s desk with not a hair out of place and the confidence of someone who knows they’re the best, was Rosalie Cullen. 

  
  


She was wearing black jeans that hugged her in all the right ways and a form fitting white top, 3 quarter sleeve with what Bella thought was called a sweetheart neckline but basically just made her boobs look  _ good _ . Around her wrist was a pretty leather bracelet with the same symbols Bella noticed on Edward’s the day before. With a start, Bella realized that it was probably a family crest. 

 

_ Oh god, _ the oversized-sweater clad girl thought, now alarmed,  _ they’re a cult. _

 

Bella didn’t have a chance to think much else before the blonde turned from the teacher and started making her way towards Bella, her brown eyes golden-tinted and filled with disdain. The  _ something _ Bella always felt in regards to the Cullens, however, was barely there at all. Almost as if even her survival instincts had decided that Bella was too gay and weak to run from Rosalie Cullen. 

 

_ Great, _ she thought as Rosalie sat down next to her,  _ being bi is the reason I die. _ She wanted to laugh at her own internal monologue but couldn’t bring herself to do so when the blonde leaned in as the bell rang. 

 

“So,” she said, her voice firm and enticing, drawing Bella’s full attention despite her goal to remain cool and distant, “ _ you’re _ Bella Swan.” Though her voice was rather pleasant, her eyes still screamed judgement. 

 

“The one and only,” Bella deadpanned, earning an unimpressed look from the beauty next to her. “And you’re Rosalie Cullen, yes?” 

 

“Yes,” Rosalie confirmed, eyes lit up in a way that could be described as playful, sure, but only in the sense that a feral lioness must occasionally appear ‘playful’ to her food. “It’s nice to finally meet you.”

 

For some reason, her words ticked Bella off. “You had ample opportunity to introduce yourself while you were glaring at me from across the cafeteria. I’m quite lovely if I do say so myself, and-” she made direct eye contact with a now-shocked Rosalie- “I don’t bite unless I’m asked to.”

 

The words seemed to sink in for both girls at the same time, Rosalie’s eyes going wide and Bella’s whole face going red.  _ Oh my god! What the fuck is wrong with me?! _

 

“Certainly you don’t  _ just _ bite when asked. It seems to me like you’re more than willing to bite when provoked, too, Miss Swan,” Rosalie said, her expression unreadable, and before Bella could respond or even shut her mouth, Ms. Langdon started class. 

 

They were starting a unit on The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald and Bella, though still dying inside from her interaction with the blonde Cullen, was happy about that at least. She loved The Great Gatsby, even if it was a bit dry at times. She wished it had ended differently, ideally in a way that would see Jay return the blatantly obvious affection Nick holds for him and they would be together, leaving Daisy and Tom behind. Every time she read it she hoped for a better ending, and though she never got it, she was ready to read it again. 

 

Bella tried to listen to Ms. Langdon, she really did, but she couldn’t help glancing over at her desk partner every few seconds. Unlike her brother, Rosalie was sitting normally in her chair, her hands not balled into fists, and she wasn’t leaning away. The more she watched Rosalie, the less sense Edward made. She sighed softly, frustrated, and forced herself to pay attention to the teacher. 

 

At the end of class they were given 10 minutes to pack up and talk amongst themselves, which normally Bella wouldn’t have minded but this really only left three options for her in her current situation. 1) Bella and Rosalie sat in complete silence for 10 minutes, 2) Bella watched Rosalie ignore her and socialize for 10 whole minutes, or 3) Bella and Rosalie talked for 10 minutes like Bella hadn’t made things awkward as fuck.

 

Bella was strangely relieved when the blonde picked the third. 

 

“So what other classes do you have, then? English with me now, and biology with Edward I know. But what else?” Rosalie asks, once again surprising Bella by how normal she seemed to be. 

 

“Oh, uh, I have t-trig with Varner next and gym with Coach Clapp last. What about you?” Bella cursed herself for stuttering but thankfully Rosalie didn’t comment. 

 

“I had PE last semester with Clapp. If you want on her good side ask her about astrology,” Bella thanked her for the tip, “But next I have AP history with MacNamara, then after lunch it’s design with Wilson and world issues with Richards.” 

 

“Cool, uh, I don’t really know who any of those teacher are, but the classes sound fun,” Bella said lamely and Rosalie smiled a bit. 

 

“I didn’t think you would. They’re alright, a bit boring at times because of how easy they are, but from what Edward tells me you must feel the same in biology.”

 

Bella was shocked, to say the least, more than expecting Edward to ignore her existence completely, or maybe complain about her and lie about how useless she was if he did talk about her outside of class. Hearing that he, well, he was at least honest if not bragging on her behalf was… unsettling. 

 

“Was he wrong? Typical. He’s so excited to have a friend he talks you up,” Rosalie sighed condescendingly, “don’t worry about it. Biology isn’t for everyone, so feel free to admit that you find it hard.”

 

Anger flared up in Bella, the  _ something _ that always kept her from acting out apparently long gone. “Actually, _ Miss Cullen _ ,” Bella hissed, “I find biology so dreadfully fucking boring and simple that if my father wasn’t the literal chief of police, I wouldn’t even bother to go. I was surprised that your brother mentioned me at all, let alone in an honest way, considering how much of a jackass he is.” Bella glared at the blonde with as much fire as she could. “I see  _ that _ runs in the family, blood or no.” 

 

The bell rang right as Bella finished and she stood up, threw her bag over her shoulder and marched out of the classroom and into the snowfall outside, not even caring that she’d left her coat on a hook inside. Her eyes were burning with tears, something that happened every time she was angry, and she hated herself for it. She didn’t have time to cry,  _ especially _ not over a Cullen. 

 

Not wanting to show up teary to trig and not knowing where else to go, Bella made her way to her truck. It seemed like the entire student body was outside between classes, likely reveling in the first  _ proper _ snowfall of the year, and it made Bella’s skin crawl and eyes burn even more.

 

When she got out to her truck, she finally saw why she'd had so little trouble getting to school that morning. Something silver caught her eye and she walked to the back of the truck when she got to it — carefully holding the side for support — to examine her tires. There were thin chains crisscrossed in diamond shapes around them.  _ Charlie got up who knows how early to put snow chains on my truck,  _ Bella thought and her throat suddenly felt tight. She wasn't used to being taken care of, and Charlie's unspoken concern caught her by surprise. This mixed with her anger, embarrassment, and the cold seeping into her bones made it hard to keep the tears at bay. 

 

Bella was standing by the back corner of the truck, struggling to fight back the sudden wave of emotion the snow chains had brought on, when she heard an odd sound. It was a high-pitched screech, and it was fast becoming painfully loud. Bella looked up, startled, and saw several things simultaneously. 

 

Nothing was moving in slow motion, the way it does in the movies. Instead, the adrenaline rush seemed to make her brain work much faster, and despite the blurriness that had been there moments ago, she was able to absorb in clear detail several things at once.

 

Edward and Rosalie Cullen were standing four cars down from her, staring at her in horror. Her face, Rosalie’s, stood out from a sea of faces, all frozen in the same mask of shock. But of more immediate importance was the dark blue van that was skidding, tires locked and squealing against the brakes, spinning wildly across the ice of the parking lot. It was going to hit the back corner of her truck, and Bella was standing between them. She didn't even have time to close her eyes.

 

Just before Bella heard the shattering crunch of the van folding around the truck bed, something hit her, hard, but not from the direction she’d been expecting. Her head cracked against the icy blacktop and she felt something solid and cold pinning her to the ground where she was lying on behind the tan car she'd parked next to. But she didn't have a chance to notice anything else, because the van was still coming. It had curled gratingly around the end of the truck and, still spinning and sliding, was about to collide with her again.

 

A low curse made Bella aware that someone was with her, and the voice was impossible not to recognize. Two long, white hands shot out protectively in front of her, and the van shuddered to a stop a foot from her face, the delicate hands somehow fitting providentially into a deep dent in the side of the van's body.

 

Then her hands moved so fast they blurred. One was suddenly gripping under the body of the van, and something was dragging Bella, swinging her legs around like a ragdoll's, till they hit the tire of the tan car. A groaning metallic thud hurt her ears, and the van settled, glass popping, onto the asphalt — exactly where, a second ago, her legs had been. It was absolutely silent for one long second before the screaming began. In the abrupt bedlam, Bella could hear more than one person shouting her name. But more clearly than all the yelling, she could hear Rosalie Cullen's soft, frantic voice in her ear.

 

"Bella? Are you all right?"

 

"I'm fine." Bella’s voice sounded strange in her own ears. She tried to sit up, and quickly realized Rosalie was holding her against the side of her body in an iron grasp. 

 

"Be careful," the blonde warned as Bella struggled. "I think you hit your head pretty hard."

 

As if on cue, Bella became aware of a throbbing ache centered above her left ear. "Ow," she said, stupidly surprised by the sharp pain.

 

"That's what I thought." Rosalie’s voice, amazingly, sounded like she was suppressing laughter.

 

"How the fuck…" Bella trailed off, trying to clear her head and gather her bearings. "How did you get over here so fast?"

 

"I was standing right next to you, Bella," she said, her tone serious again.

 

Bella turned to sit up, and this time Rosalie let her, releasing her hold around Bella’s waist and sliding as far from her as she could in the limited space. Bella looked at her concerned, innocent expression and was disoriented again by the force of her brown, gold-tinted eyes. 

 

And then they were found, a crowd of people with tears streaming down their faces, shouting at each other and shouting at them.

 

"Don't move," someone instructed.

 

"Get Tyler out of the van!" someone else shouted.

 

There was a flurry of activity around the pair. Bella tried to get up, but Rosalie's cold hand pushed her shoulder down.

 

"Just stay put for now."

 

"But it's cold," Bella complained. It surprised her when the blonde laughed under her breath. There was an edge to the sound, but when she shifted Bella’s coat was staring back at her, black and torn and somehow, miraculously, still over Rosalie’s arm.

 

Bella had to blink away tears again as the blonde draped the coat over her shoulders to try and keep her warm. "You were over there," Bella croaked out, remembering faintly that she and Edward had been cars away. Bella had assumed they were laughing at her being so dramatic, but now she wondered if maybe they were both concerned. Her head throbbed and Rosalie’s laughed stopped short. "You were by your car."

 

The blonde’s expression turned hard. "No, I wasn't."

 

"I saw you." All around them was chaos and Bella could hear the gruffer voices of adults arriving on the scene. But she obstinately held on to the argument; she was right, she was overwhelmed, and she wasn’t going to let this go until she finally got some answers.

 

"Bella, I was standing with you, and I pulled you out of the way." she unleashed the full, devastating power of her eyes on Bella, as if trying to communicate something crucial.

 

"No." Bella set her jaw. Years of babysitting her cousins and taking care of Rene made her all but immune to puppy eyes.

 

The gold in Rosalie’s eyes seemed to spark, as if trying to overtake the brown. "Please, Bella."

 

"Why?" Bella demanded. The reality was starting to set in that she was sitting on the cold, icy ground with the blonde before her because she had come  _ this close _ to being crushed, and she needed answers to distract her from it.

 

"Trust me," she pleaded, her soft voice overwhelming.

 

Bella could hear the sirens now. "Will you promise to explain everything to me later?" she didn’t even care that her voice sounded desperate. 

 

"Fine," she snapped, abruptly exasperated. It upset Bella in a way she was almost ashamed of. 

 

"Fine," she repeated angrily.

 

It took six EMTs and two teachers — Mr. Varner and Coach Clapp — to shift the van far enough away from the pair to bring the stretchers in. Rosalie vehemently refused hers, and when Bella tried to do the same the traitor told them she'd hit her head and probably had a concussion. The brunette almost died of humiliation when they put on the neck brace. It looked like the entire school was there, watching soberly as they loaded her in the back of the ambulance. Rosalie got to ride in the front. It was maddening.

 

To make matters worse, Chief Swan arrived before they could get her safely away. "Bella!" he yelled in panic when he recognized his daughter on the stretcher.

 

"I'm completely fine, Dad," Bella promised. "There's nothing wrong with me."

 

He turned to the closest EMT for a second opinion and Bella tuned him out to consider the jumble of inexplicable images churning chaotically in her head. When they'd lifted her away from the car, she had seen the deep dent in the tan car's bumper — a very distinct dent that fit the contours of Rosalie's shoulders… as if she had braced himself against the car with enough force to damage the metal frame…

 

And then there was her family, looking on from the distance, with expressions that ranged from disapproval to fury but held no hint of concern for their sister's safety. All, except for Edward’s, who seemed thankful and panicked all at once. Bella tried to think of a logical solution that could explain what she had just seen — a solution that excluded the assumption that she was insane. She couldn’t come up with anything that didn’t feature the supernatural. 

 

Naturally, the ambulance got a police escort to the county hospital. Bella felt ridiculous the whole time they were unloading her. What made it worse was that Rosalie simply glided through the hospital doors under her own power. Bella ground her teeth together.

 

They put the injured girl in the emergency room, a long room with a line of beds separated by pastel-patterned curtains. A nurse put a pressure cuff on her arm and a thermometer under her tongue. Since no one bothered pulling the curtain around to give Bella some privacy, she decided she wasn't obligated to wear the stupid-looking neck brace anymore. When the nurse walked away, she quickly unfastened the Velcro and threw it under the bed.

 

There was another flurry of hospital personnel, another stretcher brought to the bed next to her. Bella  recognized Tyler Crowley from her math class beneath the bloodstained bandages wrapped tightly around his head. Tyler looked a hundred times worse than Bella felt, but he was staring at her anxiously.

 

"Bella, I'm so sorry!"

 

"I'm fine, Tyler. It’s okay, but are you alright?" As they spoke, nurses began unwinding his soiled bandages, exposing a myriad of shallow slices all over his forehead and left cheek.

 

He seemed ignore Bella’s words. "I thought I was going to kill you! I-I was going too fast, and I hit the ice wrong…" He winced as one nurse started dabbing at his face.

 

"Don't worry about it; you missed me."

 

"How did you get out of the way so fast? You were there, and then you were gone…"

 

"Umm… Rosalie pulled me out of the way."

 

He looked confused. "Who?"

 

"Rosalie Cullen — she was standing next to me." Bella had always been a terrible liar; she didn't sound convincing at all.

 

"Cullen? I didn't see her… wow, it was all so fast, I guess. Is she okay?"

 

"I think so. She's here somewhere, but they didn't make her use a stretcher."  _ like a traitor. _

 

Bella knew she wasn't crazy. But… what had happened? There was no way to explain away what she'd seen unless she was right. The paranormal was  _ real, _ and it was among humans. 

 

They wheeled Bella away then to X-ray her head. She told them there was nothing wrong and she felt smug when she was proven right. Not even a concussion. She asked if she could leave, but the nurse said Bella had to talk to a doctor first. So she was trapped in the ER, waiting, harassed by Tyler 's constant apologies and promises to make it up to her. No matter how many times she tried to convince him she was fine, he continued to torment himself. Eventually, Bella closed her eyes and ignored him. He kept up a remorseful mumbling.

 

"Is she sleeping?" a familiar voice asked and Bella’s eyes flew open.

 

Edward was standing at the foot of her bed, smirking, while Rosalie stood next to him. Bella glared at them both. It wasn't easy — it was becoming more natural to ogle.

 

"Hey, Rosalie, I'm really sorry —" Tyler began.

 

Rosalie lifted a hand to stop him.

 

"No blood, no foul," she said, flashing a breathtaking smile. Edward moved to sit on the edge of Tyler 's bed, facing Bella, and smirked again.

 

"So, what's the verdict?" he asked her. Rosalie had yet to speak to her directly and it was pissing Bella off.

 

"There's nothing wrong with me at all, but they won't let me go," she complained. "How come you aren't strapped to a gurney like the rest of us?" she asked Rosalie this, deciding that if she wasn’t going to start the conversation, Bella would.

 

"It's all about who you know," she answered. "But don't worry, I came to spring you." Bella smiled a bit at that, but then a doctor walked around the corner, and her mouth fell open. He was young, with dark curly hair… and he was handsomer than any movie star she'd ever seen. He was brown, pale though, and tired-looking, with circles under his eyes. From Charlie's description, Bella figured this had to be Rosalie and Edward's father.

 

"So, Miss Swan," Dr. Cullen said in a remarkably appealing voice, "how are you feeling?"

 

"I'm fine," Bella said and hoped it would be for the last time.

 

He walked to the lightboard on the wall over her head, and turned it on.

 

"Your X-rays look good," he said. "Does your head hurt? Rosalie said you hit it pretty hard."

 

"It's fine," Bella repeated with a sigh, throwing a quick scowl toward the blonde. She grinned back. 

 

The doctor's cool fingers probed lightly along Bella’s skull and he noticed when she winced.

 

"Tender?" he asked.

 

"Not really." she'd had worse. Bella heard a chuckle, and looked over to see Edward's patronizing smile. Her eyes narrowed.

 

"Well, your father is in the waiting room — you can go home with him now. But come back if you feel dizzy or have trouble with your eyesight at all."

 

"Can't I go back to school?" Bella asked, imagining Charlie trying to be attentive. He would try, that she was sure of, but it would be tense and anxious for both of them. 

 

"Maybe you should take it easy today."

 

She glanced at Rosalie. "Does he get to go to school?"

 

"Someone has to spread the good news that you survived," Edward answered for his sister. 

 

"Actually," Dr. Cullen corrected, "most of the school seems to be in the waiting room."

 

"Oh God," Bella groaned, covering her face with her hands.

 

Dr. Cullen raised his eyebrows. "Do you want to stay?"

 

"No, no!" Bella insisted, throwing her legs over the side of the bed and hopping down quickly. Too quickly — she staggered and Dr. Cullen had to catch her. He looked concerned. "I'm fine," she assured him again. She felt no need to tell him her balance problems had nothing to do with hitting her head.

 

"Take some Tylenol for the pain," he suggested as he steadied her.

 

"It doesn't hurt that bad," Bella insisted.

 

"It sounds like you were extremely lucky," Dr. Cullen said, smiling as he signed her chart with a flourish.

 

"Lucky Rosalie happened to be standing next to me," she amended with a hard glance at the subject of her statement.

 

"Oh, well, yes," Dr. Cullen agreed, suddenly occupied with the papers in front of him. Then he looked away, at Tyler, and walked to the next bed. Bella’s intuition flickered; the doctor was in on it.

 

"I'm afraid that you'll have to stay with us just a little bit longer," he said to Tyler, and began checking his cuts.

 

As soon as the doctor's back was turned, Bella moved to Rosalie's side.

 

"Can I talk to you for a minute?" she hissed under her breath. Rosalie took a step back from her, her jaw suddenly clenched.

 

"Your father is waiting for you," she said through her teeth.

 

Bella glanced at Dr. Cullen and Tyler, and Edward who was pointedly looking away.

 

"I'd like to speak with you alone, if you don't mind," she pressed.

 

The blonde glared before she turned on her heel and strode down the long room. Bella nearly had to run to keep up. 

 

As soon as they turned the corner into a short hallway, she spun around to face Bella. "What do you want?" she asked, sounding annoyed. Her eyes were cold.

 

Her unfriendliness intimidated Bella once again. Her words came out with less severity than she'd intended. "You owe me an explanation," she reminded her.

 

"I saved your life — I don't owe you anything."

 

Bella flinched back from the resentment in Rosalie’s voice. "You promised."

 

"Bella, you hit your head, you don't know what you're talking about." Her tone was cutting, her eyes resentful. Bella tried not to tear up again as her temper flared. 

 

She glared defiantly at the girl standing before her. "There's nothing wrong with my head."

 

Her brown eyes glared back, the golden tint Bella had noticed earlier seemingly gone, replaced instead by a black tint that made her eyes impossibly darker. "What do you want from me, Bella?"

 

"I want to know the truth," Bella said. "I want to know why I'm lying for you."

 

"What do you think happened?" she snapped.

 

It came out in a rush.

 

"All I know is that you weren't anywhere near me —Tyler didn't see you, either, so don't tell me I hit my head too hard. That van was going to crush us both — and it didn't, and your hands left dents in the side of it — and you left a dent in the other car, and you're not hurt at all — and the van should have smashed my legs, but you were holding it up…" Bella could hear how crazy it sounded and couldn't continue. She was so mad she could feel the tears coming; she tried to force them back by grinding her teeth together. Rosalie was staring at her incredulously, but her face was tense. Defensive.

 

"You think I lifted a van off you?" Her tone questioned Bella’s sanity, but it only made her more suspicious. It was like a perfectly delivered line by a skilled actor.

 

So she merely nodded once, jaw tight.

 

"Nobody will believe that, you know." Her voice held an edge of derision now.

 

"I'm not going to tell anybody." Bella said each word slowly, carefully controlling her anger. This wasn’t about telling anyone what she saw, or any of her theories. She didn’t want recognition for figuring them out, and certainly if it’s this bad then she doesn’t want to take pride in ruining someone’s life out of spite. She didn’t want gossip, just truth. 

 

Surprise flitted across Rosalie’s face. "Then why does it matter?"

 

"It matters to me," Bella insisted. "I don't like to lie — so there'd better be a good reason why I'm doing it."

 

"Can't you just thank me and get over it?"

 

"Thank you." Bella waited, fuming and expectant. 

 

"You're not going to let it go, are you?"

 

"No."

 

"In that case… I hope you enjoy disappointment."

 

They scowled at each other in silence. Bella was the first to speak, trying to keep herself focused. She was in danger of being distracted by Rosalie’s livid, glorious face. It was like trying to stare down a destroying angel.

 

"Why did you even bother?" Bella asked frigidly.

 

She saw Rosalie pause, for a brief moment her stunning, haunted face was unexpectedly vulnerable. "I don't know," she whispered.

 

And then she turned her back on Bella and walked away.

 

The brunette was so angry it took her a few minutes until she could even move. When she could walk, Bella made her way slowly to the exit at the end of the hallway.

 

The waiting room was more unpleasant than she'd feared. It seemed like every face she knew in Forks was there, staring at her. Charlie rushed to her side, Jacob and Billy with him. Bella put up her hands. "There's nothing wrong with me," she assured them sullenly. She was still aggravated, not in the mood for chitchat.

 

"What did the doctor say?" Charlie asked as Jacob hesitantly reached out and patted her arm. She knew that he wanted a hug but was afraid of hurting her. She was both  touched and pissed off. 

 

"Dr. Cullen saw me, and he said I was fine and I could go home." Bella sighed. Mike and Jessica and Angela were all there, beginning to converge on them. "Let's go," Bella urged. Charlie put one arm behind her back, not quite touching her, and Jacob did the same. Billy was in front of them, a blockade against the oncoming students, and led the way to the glass doors of the exit. Bella waved sheepishly at her friends, hoping to convey that they didn't need to worry anymore. It was a huge relief— the first time she'd ever felt that way — to get into the cruiser.

 

“We can’t stay,” Jacob said apologetically. “But I’m a phone call away if you need me.”

 

Bella smiled softly at her best friend and pulled him in for a hug, revelling in his warmth despite the cold. “I know,” she whispered, “but I’m okay. I love you, Jake, but you don’t have to worry about me.”

 

“I love you too, klutz,” he whispered back and Bella laughed, “‘m always gonna worry about you.”

 

Charlie made Bella get in the cruiser then, and they drove in silence. Bella was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she barely knew Charlie was there. She was positive that Rosalie's defensive behavior in the hall was a confirmation of the bizarre things she still could hardly believe she’d witnessed.

 

When they got to the house, Charlie finally spoke. "Um… you'll need to call Renée." He hung his head, guilty, and Bella was appalled. 

 

"You told Mom!"

 

"Sorry."

 

“You… Judas!” Bella explained angrily and slammed the cruiser's door a little harder than necessary on her way out. Renée was in hysterics, of course. Bella had to tell her she felt fine at least thirty times before she would calm down. She begged her daughter to come home — forgetting the fact that home was empty at the moment — but her pleas were easier to resist than Bella would have thought. Not only did she like Forks, despite everything, but she was now consumed by the mystery the Cullens presented. Stupid, she knew. Stupid, stupid, stupid. But she wasn't eager to ‘escape’ Forks as she mother thought should be. Or as any normal, sane person would be.

 

After the phone call and checking her email to find nothing from Bree, Bella decided she might as well go to bed early that night. Charlie continued to watch her anxiously, and it was getting on her nerves. She stopped on her way to grab three Tylenol from the bathroom. They did help, and, as the pain eased, Bella drifted to sleep. 

 

That was the first night she dreamed of Rosalie Cullen.

**Author's Note:**

> come talk to me at either @killerofthestars or @skinofakiller on tumblr


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